Angel of Death I: In The Cards
by KuroShinigami13
Summary: ‹AU; Pairing Spoilers Inside› L invites someone he knows to work on the Kira investigation. Her name is Nyoko Kurogawa and she may have ulterior motives for working on the Kira case.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Angel of Death I: In The Cards  
**Subject:** Death Note  
**Genres:** Drama/Romance  
**Sub-genres:** Humor/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

**Front Summary:** ‹AU; Pairing Spoilers Inside› L invites someone he knows to work on the Kira investigation. Her name is Nyoko Kurogawa and she may have ulterior motives for working on the Kira case.

**Summary:** ‹AU; Pairings In Separate Section› Nyoko Kurogawa knew L once, a long time ago. They separated for a few years until he saw her on television and decided to contact her. Whenever he needs her, she's there to assist in whatever way she can. But now that he requires her assistance on the Kira investigation, she may have a different motive for lending a hand. When caught between two forces claiming to be on the side of justice -- Kira and L -- which path will she choose?

* * *

**Pairings:** Okay, this is the hard part because there's so many things going on that you might miss a hint of a pairing if you blink. I'll try to explain this as best as I can, but before you read it, know that I _do_ consider these spoilers because you get told who ends up with who.

As a note, I changed a couple of characters' ages, so if any of it looks like the couple has too many years between them for a conservative such as myself to write about, other than Shinigami stuff, then I probably changed the age of at least one of them. You'll be informed about who is changed later, I assure you.

By the way, I absolutely _loathe_ yaoi and yuri/shounen ai and shoujo ai, so there'll be none of that goin' on 'round here. Sorry, yaoi and yuri enthusiasts. (For those innocent folks, yaoi is "relations" between males, yuri is "relations" between females, shounen ai is love between males and shoujo ai is love between females. Now that I've made you less innocent to the world of fanfiction, you may continue reading.)

Ready? Remember: Nyoko and Kuro are OCs. In case you can't remember, I'll put OC by their names in parentheses. (I'm not being condescending, I promise. Seriously, though, I have a short term memory, so I would probably forget, too. ...What were we talking about?)

**SPOILERS BELOW:**

LxNyoko(OC)  
Faux (fake) LightxNyoko(OC)  
One-sided NearxNyoko(OC); NearxNyoko(OC) later  
One-sided LightxMisa  
Mentions of one-sided MisaxJealous  
One-sided Kuro(OC)xNyoko(OC)

(Note: Poor Shinigami falling for humans. Kinda creepy, too. I didn't want to do it with my OCs, but it made the story flow better and gave her a reason for having a Death Note. And maybe I should have put the romance genre before the drama genre... Oh, what a tangled web of love I weave.)

* * *

**Notes:** I call this AU since basically every fanfic is AU if it changes something. For me, the AU tag is just a given for this. I don't always put it when I write fics, but I felt the compulsion to use it this time around. Can't say as I know why, but there's my reason.

Also, this fic starts when L enters the anime via voice. (That would be episode two, for those who don't know.)

**SPOILERS BELOW:**

About the genres and sub-genres, drama is a given and based on the pairings list you may or may not have seen, romance is a given as well. The humor mostly comes from Nyoko(OC) since she turned out to be the only way I could really add much needed comic relief. Friendship is like a given, but I put it to assure you that some characters end up as friends and some end up together in the end of the end. Hurt/comfort comes from Nyoko(OC) and Near's relationship, both as friends and more.

**SPOILER END; GO BOOM**

And then there's the whole OC being a Mary-Sue thing. I'll be honest in that I don't really care if she is or not. If you want to look at it as a self-insert via alter ego, go ahead. My therapist thinks it is and I would say I trust her opinion. So, it might be that, even though some of the pairings with the female OC I don't even like and only wrote because I'm the kind of writer who gets told what to do by their characters. (Stfu, I know other writers who do that and can name famous ones, too. So nyaaa!) I'm one of those odd writers who doesn't see the problem with writing a Sue, I guess. If you don't like it, you certainly don't have to read it. My excuse is that fanfiction dot net told me to unleash my imagination; it didn't tell me that you had to like it.

Anyway, telling me she's a Sue is kind of pointless because I already think she probably is, until maybe the third installation of my series. On the third, there's one big, huge imperfection with her she hid during the other two. I actually have a list of good traits and bad that I chose for her, but I don't think I show all of them. I tried to make her not perfect, but you may think she is.

In closing about the Sue-ness, I guess this is for all the females who wish they could interact with or get together with some of the characters. We can all dream, right? May the Sue likers unite, or something like that.

Also, the first two in this series of mine follow really close to the canon, but differ by adding the OC and her "world" (as in job, thoughts, relationships, etc.). There are also flashbacks, so if you hate those, don't attempt getting into this fic. This fic has more flashbacks than Willy Wonka.

Oh, and for the first few chapters, it's really boring because it just follows along with L and the beginning of his involvement with the Kira case. I felt I had to at least show _some_ of what goes on to make the story understandable even if you haven't watched the anime. If you want to skip the boring stuff, start at the part where L reveals himself to Chief Soichiro Yagami and the others because that's where the OC truly comes in. It's a bit boring after that, too, but it gradually picks up and has new stuff around the time when the OC and L meet Light, I think it was.

Lastly, there will obviously be spoilers in this fic. You were warned.

**PS:** If I have more notes about the fic later, they'll be added as Author's Notes. (Yes, I know what you're thinking: "Oh, God! MORE Author's Notes!" :runs in circles, pulling out hair; screams and runs, leaping out a window: Me: Stop being melodramatic.)

* * *

**Info.:** Right here, I'm going to give a bio of my main OC in the way they do on that Absolute Anime site, since that's where I get all my bio information from. Here goes:

**Name:** Nyoko Kurogawa  
**Aliases:** NK; Musiko Hanabi; Nemo Nada  
**Race:** Human  
**Gender:** Female  
**Age:** 23 years old ((at debut) born February 29, 1983)  
**Hair:** Black  
**Eyes:** Midnight blue  
**Height:** 5'5" (165 cm)  
**Weight:** 108.2 lbs (49 kg)  
**Status:** Negotiator (at debut); Singer  
**Quotes:** "Like Kira cares what the legal system thinks."; "Told you so."

* * *

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Michael Jackson likes little kids. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** This is where I'll be giving Author's Notes from now on. I like the "page" of the story to be clean from the title and downward. I will not insert Author's Notes into the story itself.

You can choose to ignore these Author's Notes, but you never know if one of them might say something important, so I'd read them just to be sure. I know it's a real drag, but fanfiction is serious business and you can't just go reading the story all willy-nilly. :shakes cane: Why, in my day, we didn't even _have_ these confounded Author's Notes. If we wanted to understand a story, we had to read and re-read it until we understood it!

You also never know when I might feel like saying something you might find a little humorous. :wink:

Now, on with the story.

* * *

**Note:** ...HAHAHA! GOTCHA'! If you've read everything down to this point, I have to congratulate you on your studiousness regarding the details of the story. Really, congratulations. :shakes your hand: Now, on with the story... for _reals_ this time.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Prologue - Six of Diamonds (Anxiety)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- The human whose name is written in this note shall die._

* * *

At a meeting of the ICPO concerning recent suspicious deaths of criminals, Matsuda Tota sat amongst the delegates in a large room, an empty seat next to him where Chief Soichiro Yagami should be seated.

"There have been _fifty-two_ deaths we're aware of," began one of the men, "and that's just in the past week."

Another man added, "Every single one of them involved a heart attack."

"They were all criminals who were being held in prison or who were wanted by police for outstanding crimes," said the first man. "And I think it's safe to say there are other criminals whose deaths are unaccounted for."

"In which case," another man began, "the death toll could be well over one hundred."

Hearing this, men in the room began to talk amongst themselves in hushed tones as Chief Yagami moved to his seat, catching the attention of Matsuda.

"Morning, Chief," Matsuda said, looking to the older man. "They started the meeting without you."

"That's fine; I had to take an urgent call from headquarters," replied the Chief, looking over to Matsuda as he sat down.

Another man in the group began, "At any rate, these were criminals who were probably facing execution sooner or later. Perhaps we shouldn't--"

"Why should it matter whether it's a criminal or someone innocent?" asked the first man, pounding his fist to the desk before him. "Last time I checked, murder was still murder."

"It's still too early to consider these a homicide," said another of the delegates.

"Then how did all these people have heart attacks at the exact same time?" the first man questioned, rising from his seat. "That's not coincidence, it's murder!"

The other man replied in question, "You think it's possible to simultaneously kill all these people in different locations?"

"We're treating this as an elaborate murder plot that's been carried out by a large organization," the first man informed him.

Another man put in his thoughts on the matter, saying, "If it _is_ a large organization, I'm sure I'm not alone in suspecting the FBI or CIA."

"I dare you to say that again!" someone shouted, clearly outraged by the accusation.

Another man stood up, waving his arms about to calm the others, "Now, now! This is not the time to be joking around! We need to confirm that these are indeed homicides and not coincidences!"

"How?" asked one of the men who had spoken earlier. "Autopsy reports show that in all of these cases, the victims died of a sudden heart attack."

"Investigating a series of heart attacks is pointless," said someone else. "I don't see what else we can learn."

"Absolutely," another man among the delegates agreed. "If these people had been shot or stabbed, at least we'd have something to go on."

"If that's the case," began the first man, expression turning almost grave, "it looks as if we have no choice but to bring in L."

The chatter that had been filling the vast room slowly died down upon this conclusion, Matsuda looking over to the Chief and asking, "Uh, Chief, what's this L they're talking about?"

Chief Yagami looked over to the younger man, "Right. I forgot that it's your first time at this conference."

He looked forward once again, deciding to explain to Matsuda about the mysterious detective, L.

"We don't know L's real name or whereabouts. In fact, we still don't even know what he looks like," he began to explain. "However, he's managed to solve every case he's ever taken on and he's tackled some of the greatest mysteries this world has ever known. He hides in the shadows, but he's the best of the best - a last resort - our trump card."

One of the men in the meeting finally spoke up, "But I've heard this L is extremely arrogant. I understand he'll only take on cases that he's personally interested in."

"That's exactly right," said another man. "Besides, we don't even know how to contact him."

Another voice - one not of those who were supposed to be in the meeting - informed them, "L is already on the move."

The man walked forward, dressed in a brown trench coat with the collar up and helping to conceal his face along with a brown hat. It seemed something was also masking his face from view as he stood before the group.

"Gentlemen," he addressed the men, "L has already begun his investigation into these incidents."

"W-Watari?" one of the men asked, clearly surprised by the cloaked man's appearance.

"Huh? Who's that?" Matsuda asked the Chief.

Chief Yagami replied, "That man's the only known person who can contact L. Nobody knows _his_ true identity either."

"Please be silent," Watari requested. "L would now like to address the delegates."

After opening a laptop set upon a desk, the letter "L" appeared on the presentation screen behind Watari in Old London font, a masked voice speaking to the delegates.

"Greetings to all of you at the ICPO," the male voice began. "_I_ am L."


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Mike Tyson likes to bite off ears. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** Obviously, we started the fic from Ep 2 where L was first introduced by voice only. We'll carry on from there where L makes an appearance of some sort. Also, this chapter turned out short, but the following chapters are longer.

Oh, and one more thing. From now on, when a character thinks something, that something will look like this: '_I am a character and I am thinking thoughts._' Also, when a word is stressed in a thought, it will look like this: '_I am a __**character**__ and I am thinking thoughts._' See? The word "character" is stressed.

Also, line breaks within the story indicate scene or perspective changes. You should be able to tell which it is based on the story if you have half a brain and you like piña coladas.

Huh. A Rupert Holmes and Jimmy Buffet joke. You don't see _those_ too often.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter One - Nine of Spades (Arrogance)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- This note will not take effect unless the writer has the person's face in their mind when writing his/her name._

_Therefore, people sharing the same name will not be affected._

* * *

"The difficulty of this case lies in its unprecedented scope," L explained to the delegates. "And make no mistake; we're witnessing an atrocious act of murder - one that is _unforgivable_. This case cannot be solved without the _full_ cooperation of the ICPO; that is, _all_ of the police organizations you represent throughout the world. You need to make the decision to _fully_ support the investigation at _this_ meeting. _Also_, I require additional cooperation from Japan's National Police Agency."

"Huh?" Matsuda said, himself and Chief Yagami standing.

"What? Why Japan in particular?" the Chief asked.

L replied, "Whether the guilty party is an individual or a group, there's a strong possibility that they're Japanese. And even if they're _not_, we can be sure they're _hiding_ in Japan."

Matsuda looked to the Chief as Soichiro asked, "What is all this based on?"

"_Why Japan_, you ask? I think I'll be able to provide you with proof of that after I directly confront the culprit," answered L.

"A direct confrontation?" questioned the Chief.

"At any rate," continued L, "I would like to set up the investigation headquarters in Japan."

* * *

"We'd... like to apologize for the interruption," a man on television said as Light Yagami, Cheif Yagami's son and the one behind the murders, watched with his Shinigami, Ryuk. "As of now, we're bringing you a live, world-wide broadcast from Interpol's ICPO."

Both Ryuk and Light leaned in, watching the television curiously.

"Hm. What's this?" Ryuk asked.

A man appeared on television, a name plate before him reading Lind L. Tailor.

"I head up an international police task force which includes all member nations," he began. "I am Lind L. Tailor, otherwise known as L."

"What? Who _is_ this guy?" asked Light.

* * *

Meanwhile, Matsuda and Chief Yagami were watching the broadcast with a few other men.

"So this is how it all begins," the Chief mused.

Matsuda looked to him, inquiring, "But, sir, I don't get it; he's never _actually_ shown his face before, right? Why would he choose to do it now?"

"It must mean L's serious about this," the older man replied, watching the television screen.

'_L, we followed every single one of your orders,_' the Chief thought. '_Now it's time for you to prove what you said to the ICPO._'

Lind L. Tailor once again addressed the audience, "Criminals around the world are being murdered by a serial killer. I consider this crime to be the most atrocious act of murder in history. I will not rest until the person or persons responsible are brought to justice. Kira, I will hunt you down; I will find you."

* * *

"He seems certain he'll catch you," Ryuk said to Light as they continued to watch the broadcast.

"That fool," Light mused with a smirk. "He'll never find me."

He then held up the Death Note, a look of madness in his eyes as he explained, "He'll have to get this first. And as long as the police don't find it, there won't be any evidence to convict me, which means that catching me would be absolutely impossible."

Leaning back in his chair, he returned to his calm demeanor, adding, "I anticipated that the police would get involved and that something like this might happen."

Again, Lind L. Tailor addressed the murderer, "Kira, I've got a pretty good idea what your motivation might be _and_ I can guess what you hope to achieve. However, what you're doing right now is _evil_."

"You think... I'm evil?" asked Light as he stared back at the image on the screen, the man smiling to Light.

"I am justice!" Light Yagami announced, standing abruptly. "I protect the innocent and those who _fear_ evil! I'm the one who'll become the god of a new world that everyone desires! All those who _oppose_ that god - they are the ones who are _truly_ evil!"

Light then opened his Death Note on his desk, grabbing a pen.

"I guess you're just too stupid, _L_," the young man said with a grin as he looked up to the television screen. "Too bad. This could have been a lot more interesting if you'd only been a bit smarter."

Light then began writing Lind L. Tailor's name into the Death Note.

Once it was written, he looked to the television once more and said, "I'll show the world what happens when you cross me. The _entire_ world is watching, _L_."

Counting down the last five seconds, Light hit "one" and suddenly Lind L. Tailor gasped, slumping forward as he grabbed his chest. Soon, he was dead as Light, his father and Matsuda watched.

Light laughed maniacally, asking, "What's wrong? You got nothing else to say?"

On screen, two men in suits carried Lind L. Tailor's body away before the screen changed to show a black L in Old London font, catching Light's attention, his laughter ceasing.

A scrambled voice then came through the broadcast, sounding surprised, "I had to test this just in case, but... I-I never thought it would actually happen... Kira... it seems you can kill people without having to be there in person."

Light stared back at the screen, eyes wide in shock.

"I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't just _witnessed_ it," the voice continued. "_Listen_ to me, Kira... If you did indeed _kill_ Lind L. Tailor, the man who you just saw die on television, I should tell you that he was an inmate whose execution was scheduled for today."

The voice paused briefly, Light taking in this new information.

"That was _not_ me," L's covered voice informed Kira.

"_What_?" Light asked, stunned.

L continued, explaining, "The police arrested him in absolute secrecy, so you wouldn't have heard about him on TV or through the internet. It appears that not even _you_ have access to information about these types of criminals."

Ryuk laughed, leaning down next to Light, "He gotcha' there."

"But I assure you," the voice through the broadcast said, "L is _real_. _I do_ exist... Now, try to kill _me_!"

Light stood, helpless to L's challenge, "You... you _bastard_."

* * *

In her hotel room, a woman sat on her couch with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, watching the broadcast as L proceeded to taunt Kira. Her lips curved upward before she took a sip of the sugary liquid. Moving the cup away, she licked stray cocoa from her lips as she smiled to herself.

"Who is the cat... and who is the mouse, _Kira_?" she asked in her soft, alto voice. "This should prove... interesting."

From somewhere behind her, low laughter of a deep, gruff voice could be heard, though the owner of the voice remained hidden in the shadows.

* * *

"Well, Kira," L said, ceasing his taunts as Light watched in a daze, "it seems that you _can't_ kill me after all."

Ryuk laughed, watching the screen with interest; this new person sure was making things interesting.

"So there _are_ some people you can't kill," concluded the famous detective. "You've given me a useful hint... Let me return the favor; I'll tell you something that I think you'll find interesting. Although this was announced as a world-wide broadcast, the truth is we are only broadcasting in the Konto region of Japan."

Light sat in his chair, completely stunned; how could he have fallen for something like this?

"I had _planned_ to broadcast this message around the world until we found you," L explained to Kira, "but it looks like that won't be necessary. I now know where you are."

Ryuk laughed, thoroughly amused, "This L guy is pretty good."

L then continued to speak to Kira.

"The police treated your _first_ killing as an unrelated incident, but in actuality, the first of your victims was a suspect in Shinjuku," he said, Light recalling his first victim clearly. "Of _all_ the criminals that have recently died of heart attacks, this one's crime was by _far_ the least serious. Furthermore, his crime was only ever reported _inside_ Japan."

The detective went on after a brief pause, "I used that information to deduce this much: you are in Japan and your first victim was little more than an experiment, which means that you haven't been killing for very long."

He then explained, "We decided to broadcast in Konto _first_ because of its large population and, luckily, we found you. To be _completely_ honest with you, I never expected that things would go this well, but it won't be too long now before I am able to sentence you to death."

* * *

"L has... certainly lived up to his reputation," Matsuda said to Chief Yagami as they continued watching the broadcast.

"He proved that Kira exists, that the deaths were murders and that he's here in Japan," the Chief replied in agreement.

* * *

"Naturally, I'm _very_ interested to know how you're able to _commit_ these murders without being present, but I don't mind waiting a little bit longer; you can answer _all_ of my questions when I catch you," L said to Kira. "Let's meet again soon... Kira."

The broadcast then ended, Light's eyes still glaring at the screen in disbelief.

"_Really_?" he asked, hand rising to cover half his face.

'_**He's**__ going to sentence __**me**__ to death?_' Light thought incredulously. '_Sounds interesting..._'

His hand then fell away, his eyes determined.

"I accept your challenge, L," Light announced.

'_Each of them has to hunt down the other without knowing the other's name or face,_' thought Ryuk, watching Light with interest, '_and the first one whose identity is revealed will die... Humans are... __**so**__ much fun._'


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Bugs Bunny likes carrots. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** Here's an important piece of info concerning this fic and the following fics in this series that I'll also put in the A/N part of the other two. I needed to go ahead and alert you now that after my OC makes her REAL debut, there will be flashbacks every so often concerning her past with L at some point afterward, which include Near and Mello.

I've decided to make the plot to the following stories in the series more interesting, but to do so, I have to change Near and Mello's ages. At their debut in the next fic, Near will be eighteen and Mello will _also_ be eighteen. (Yes, that means they'll just look like older versions of themselves.) So, in the flashbacks, they're just about five or four years younger than Musiko. I say five or four because I hate numbers. You do the math. Literally.

I don't _think_ this will mess up anything else, so I may change my mind as I work on the story more. And, if it does happen to mess something up, there's always the chance that I could change other things and fix it. Check future A/N parts for updates on this development.

Also, I said this chapter would be longer, but with reductions of scenes I didn't have to add, it came up pretty short. I'm not doing this in order, though, because I write _when_ and _what_ I want when the mood strikes. So, rest assured that if not by the next chapter, at least soon the chapters will be longer.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Two - Two of Diamonds (Loyalty)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of writing the person's name, it will happen._

* * *

"Alright. Let's start with the tip line reports," Chief Soichiro Yagami said from inside the task force headquarters.

In the back sat the man, Watari, in a trench coat and hat, holding the computer which L used to communicate with the police.

"Yes, sir," one of the other men on the task force replied. "Up to this point, we've received three thousand twenty-nine responses about the murders via the telephone and email. Most of these have been curious citizens and prank calls, but there are _fourteen_ people who claim to either _know_ Kira or who have _seen_ him."

"All fourteen accounts were followed up on and carefully documented," he told the members of the task force. "However, nobody could provide any information that wasn't already publicly available. And lastly, this week there were an additional twenty-one people who called in claiming to _be_ Kira."

Some of the task force members muttered amongst themselves as he continued, "We didn't want to rule anything out, so we followed standard procedure and created files for all twenty-one of them."

He then looked up to the Chief, waiting for his thoughts.

"Uh-huh. Alright," said Soichiro. "On to the victim reports."

Another man stood as the previous one sat down and began the report.

"Upon further investigation, we have confirmed that information of the heart attack victims was, in fact, publicly available in Japan immediately prior to their deaths," he said, reading from his notes.

His eyes shifted toward the back of the room where L's computer sat as he continued, "Also, concerning L's request that we investigate the time of death for each victim, we've found that all of them occurred between the hours of four PM and two AM on weekdays, local time, with _sixty-eight_ percent occurring between eight PM and twelve AM. Weekends and holidays appear to be the exception to this rule as the times of death vary much more widely than during the week."

"That information is _extremely_ relevant for us," L informed them. "It suggests that, given the times of death, our suspect could very well be a student."

Soichiro looked up, surprised by that conclusion.

"Based on the fact that Kira's only killing _criminals_," L began, "I think it's safe to assume that he's driven by a very idealistic notion of justice. It's highly possible he may even aspire to be some sort of _god-like_ figure. We're dealing with an individual who has a very childish concept of right and wrong."

As the task force members muttered quietly amongst themselves, L reminded them, "Of course, this is mere speculation at this point, but still, I recommend you re-examine any assumptions you've made as to whether or not our suspect _could_ be a student. You must consider _every_ possibility. I believe that is the shortest route to finding and arresting Kira."

"Please, continue with your report," he requested, waiting for their reports to commence.

"Alright," said the Chief. "Does anyone else have something they'd like to add?"

Matsuda raised his hand, saying, "Uh... Yes, sir."

"What is it, Matsuda?" asked Soichiro.

Standing, Matsuda spoke, "Um... Well, I'm not saying this to support Kira or to condone the murders, but... in the last few days throughout the world, but especially here in Japan, we've observed the dramatic _decrease_ in the number of violent crimes committed."

The others began to murmur amongst themselves once more, the Chief replying, "Well, I _suppose_ it makes sense. We've _suspected_ something like that would happen. Anything else?"

"No," Matsuda said quietly as he sat back down in his seat.

"Well, that about sums up our report for today," Soichiro concluded. "L?"

"Thank you, everyone," said L. "I feel we're one step closer to finding Kira... Before I go, I'm afraid I have _one_ additional request to make. This is directed to the teams investigating the victims, TV news and internet. I would like you to go back and take a _closer_ look at the _exact_ way in which the victims' identities were made public; be as thorough as possible."

* * *

L sat before a computer, watching the task force members on its screen, "In particular, I want to know if _photos_ of the victims were made available to the public in Japan."

* * *

"I'll leave it to you," L's masked voice concluded on the computer at the task force headquarters.

* * *

Where L still sat before his computer, he turned slightly, looking into the shadows of the room.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"About something specifically or just in general?" a soft, female voice in an alto tone asked from the shadowed corner of the room.

"In general," he replied, waiting for her opinion.

The woman answered, "Well, in general, all I know is that Kira has a god complex and believes what he's doing is a revolution. And while I'd _like_ to say that the cards can give me his name, I'm afraid if it were that simple, true psychics would be billionaires."

"I see," said L. "Anything else?"

The woman's voice added, "About that one they call Matsuda..."

"Yes?" asked L, wondering if she was going to mention what he'd said at the task force meeting.

"He's kinda cute," she answered simply, laughing lightly.

L sighed, facing forward once more, "Please refrain from joking about this."

The woman remained silent a few moments before asking, "Who said I was joking?"

* * *

It was a new day at task force headquarters, Chief Soichiro Yagami already raising his voice.

"_What_?" he asked, looking at two task force members on the other side of the desk before him. "I-I don't believe this! ...Another twenty-three victims yesterday? Are these confirmed?"

"Yes," one of the men before him replied, wary of Soichiro's reaction.

"The day before, there were _another_ twenty-three victims," said the Chief. "He's killing one off _every_ hour _on_ the hour."

"Considering that this new pattern has been going on for two _weekdays_--" one man began.

Another finished his thought, "It _does_ punch some holes in the theory that our suspect is a student."

"Maybe not," another man offered. "_Anybody_ can skip two days of school."

"You're _missing the point_," L's masked voice interjected from his computer.

Once everyone's attention was on him, L continued, "It _does_ appear less likely now that Kira is a student... but that's _not_ the message he's sending by doing this..."

"Ask yourselves, _why every hour_?" he prompted, the members of the task force listening closely. "And why are all these victims in prisons where they're sure to be discovered immediately? Why not other criminals like before?"

After a brief pause, L concluded, "I believe Kira is telling us that _not only_ can he kill from a distance, but he can also determine the _time_ of death."

* * *

The men murmured among themselves about this new information, L watching them on his computer screen.

"But... something's not right," L added. "As soon as we began to _suspect_ that Kira might be a student, the pacing of the killings _changed_, as if to _contradict_ that theory. Coincidence?"

From the shadows, a pale hand with long, slender fingers and long, black nails slipped into the light, pushing a sheet of paper so that it landed right by L.

He picked up the paper, reading it as he continued speaking to the task force members, "_No_, too convenient."

The paper read in black marker: You can be certain that Kira has access to police files, which suggests that he is either on the task force for the Kira investigation or someone living with one of the members of the task force. The cards indicate determination and excitement from Kira. His lack of fear or anxiety is disheartening. I believe he is too far gone with the madness of power to be swayed from it now. That is all.

"This can only mean that Kira has access to police information," L concluded, agreeing with the woman's assessment. "It's obvious now; this is a direct challenge to me."

Ending his communication link with the task force, the detective thought aloud, "So, Kira has found a way to obtain information from the task force headquarters."

He stood, saying, "This is one fact that cannot be ignored."

Staring at his computer screen, he asked, "But what does he _get_ out of all of this? What is he hoping to _achieve_ in the end?"

"Thinking aloud while other people are in the room is the first step toward a psychiatric ward," warned the woman.

L turned to face her, ignoring her comment and directly asking her, "What do you think of this?"

"Human nature," the woman offered simply. "That which you do not _see_ with your own eyes while knowing it exists and that it may know _you_ exist compels _all_ humans to seek it out. We feel that if we can _see_ what may attack or otherwise harm us, we can attack it first. Whether he knows it or not, that's the absolute basis of his decision. Kira wants direct contact."

She paused a bit, letting her words sink in before continuing, "He also knows the human nature of distrust. He's working to divide you and the task force members, but if you tell _them_ that, human nature will strike again. It would be like a mongoose attacking a snake; those men would recoil and go on the defense before attacking."

The woman chuckled a little, concluding her thoughts, "Play along with Kira and everyone gets what they want; Kira finds _you_, you find _Kira_ and you gradually eliminate those on the task force that you can't trust... And maybe then I can show my face sometime soon instead of sitting in dark rooms, unknown to the others."

Pausing a minute, she let him get a good grip on her opinion before asking in a sweet tone, "Now, do you think we could negotiate a trade off of those imported hot fries?"

"Must I bribe you with food on every case?" L asked, his hand reaching into the shadows and offering to help her stand from her seat on the floor.

Her hand fell into his as she asked, "Why? You got something _else_ to bribe me with?"

"Your innuendos are _charming_," the detective replied sarcastically, helping her to her feet.

* * *

"What's this about?!" Chief Soichiro demanded of the three men standing before him, their letters of resignation on the desk dividing them from the Chief.

"With all due respect, Chief," the man in the middle began, "we're resigning."

The rest of the task force watched the scene silently as the man explained, "We _demand_ you assign us to a different case. Otherwise, you can have our badges right here and now."

"Why?" Soichiro asked in disbelief. "You're good cops."

"Isn't it clear?" one of the men asked. "It's because we value our _lives_, sir."

Another of the three added, "If what L says is true, Kira has some ESP-like power that somehow allows him to kill people indirectly... from anywhere."

"Well, if I were Kira, sir," one of the men said, "I'd probably want to try and get rid of the people who're trying to _catch_ me."

"Let's face it; he knows he'll be sentenced to _death_ if he's caught," another one of them commented.

"We _all_ sat here and watched when L decided to pull that media stunt and challenge Kira to kill him," the one in the middle said. "Well, it was all very impressive at the time, but then again, L never had to show his face or reveal his name for _that_ matter."

The same man asked, "I'm sure you recall L's last request; he asked that we take a closer look at how these victim's identities were made public and specifically to determine whether photos of the victims were available to the public prior to their deaths."

He slammed his hands to the desk before him, announcing, "Well, it turns out he was _right_! Every single one of those victim's names and photos were broadcast to the Japanese public _and they died_!"

"Unlike _someone_ we know, we're out there investigating this case wearing police IDs with our names and photos on them," he said, looking over his shoulder to L's computer. "Anybody with a _computer_ can find out who _we_ are. We don't hide our faces; we're out in the open!"

"Sir," one of the other men said, tone almost ashamed, "the truth is, we could be killed by Kira at _any_ time."

"For these reasons, we refuse to continue working this case," said the one in the middle, looking to the Chief.

All three then bowed, excusing themselves.

Soichiro stood from his seat, calling out, "Hey! Stop! All of you; hold it right there!"

Regardless, all three men left the room, closing the door behind them.

* * *

L and the woman hidden in the shadows watched the scene on L's computer. He then closed communication, looking to the woman for input.

"Disheartening to think that police officers would refuse to risk their lives to carry out their sworn duty to uphold justice, _isn't it_?" the woman asked around a stick of beef jerky in her mouth. "Yet, one can sympathize with their sentiments when we consider how unfair it is for us to hide safely while they parade about like sitting ducks."

"So this makes revealing ourselves unavoidable," he added, nibbling on his thumb. "Are you certain that you're willing to risk your life like this?"

"I've scowered through endless codes until my brain shut down, ascended skyscrapers regardless of my fear of heights and put myself in the line of fire more than thrice for you before," she replied in an almost annoyed manner. "What makes you think I won't do something for you when given the chance?"

Standing, she sighed in frustration, "As we've established before, I'm nothing but a tool at your disposal... So use me."

With that said, she left the room, still bathed in shadow.

Before re-establishing his link with the task force, L muttered to himself, "Tools are expendable, but you are not... I won't let you die... Nyoko."


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Stefano likes resurrecting. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so this chapter's not long, either. I fail at predicting how long they'll be.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Three - Eight of Diamonds (Fear)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- If the cause of death is not specified, the person will simply die of a heart attack._

* * *

A phone rang at task force headquarters, Mr. Yagami picking it up and answering, "Yeah, it's me... Another six inmates were found _dead_ last night?"

Men in the room turned to listen to the Chief's phone call.

"All were heart attacks?" the Chief asked. "It's him... _What_? Bizarre behavior before they died? Could you be more specific? ...What do you mean? So they _didn't_ just die from heart attacks."

The man on the other end of the line replied as he looked at a photograph, "No, what I'm saying is they _all_ died of heart attacks, but it _wasn't_ quite that simple. Before one of them died, he drew a pentagram on the wall of his cell using his own _blood_."

He then moved the photo away, looking at a letter left by one of the inmates.

"Another left a letter, but it doesn't seem to be a will or anything meaningful."

Next, he viewed a photograph of an inmate who had escaped to a restroom before dying.

"And as for the third victim," the man began, "he escaped from his cell and ran all the way to the staff bathrooms before he died."

* * *

A beeping sound came from L's computer, the detective walking over, crouching down and using his mouse to open a connection to Watari.

"What is it, Watari?" he asked.

"Three more heart attack victims," Watari replied, "but the circumstances of their deaths are _different_ from what we've seen thus far."

"What do you _mean_ by 'different'?" inquired L.

"I'm sending you a copy of a letter as well as _pictures_ taken at the scene."

"Okay."

The file sent, L looked over the pictures and letter.

'_It sounds like he was __**afraid**__ that Kira would __**find**__ him,_' the detective thought. '_It's believable that our victim might've been genuinely afraid and wrote this, but... we __**know**__ Kira can control the __**time**__ of death..._'

Holding his chin, he wondered, '_What if he can also determine the actions in the moments leading __**up**__ to death? In which case..._'

"Chief," he said, gaining Mr. Yagami's attention. "We _can't_ release details of these mens' deaths to the media. As far as _they're_ concerned, these are _just_ heart attacks... I have reason to believe that Kira was performing some kind of _test_ using these criminals. And if that's the case, we'd only be giving him the _results_ if this information is leaked to the public."

* * *

"Right," replied the Chief. "I understand."

"So now he's _experimenting_ on his victims?" one of the task force members asked.

"Horrible," another man added.

"He's _playing_ with people's lives as if all this was just a game," said Mr. Yagami. "It's _unforgivable_."

* * *

'_If Kira's __**really**__ using criminals as test subjects... what is he trying to achieve?_' thought L, still looking over the two photographs and letter.

The woman in the shadows sat before her playing cards which were in the Pyramid spread as she received their answers to her inquiry. Taking a sheet of paper, she used a black marker to write a note, shoving it over to the detective.

He picked the note up, which read: Kira is plotting something and the cards advise that he is being followed by one of the FBI agents and is on to him. Because Kira needs a name and face, this suggests he will somehow get both from whomever is following him. I have also done a reading regarding each FBI agent and their fates have all turned up a card indicating completion, and not in a positive way. I can't tell exactly what this means, however.

L sat the note back down, the woman returning to her spreads as he continued to ponder.

'_If Kira used those criminals to conduct an __**experiment**__ of some sort, that means he's about to start something, just as Nyoko suggested... If he moves __**now**__, there's a good chance that the FBI will notice someone acting suspiciously. But... perhaps he has a __**different**__ goal in mind altogether..._'

'_Could the pentagram and this __**letter**__ be some kind of __**message**__?_' he asked himself, looking over the photo and letter carefully.

Releasing the thumb in his mouth, he saw a message clearly in the letter.

'_Is this it?_' the detective pondered, the letter's message reading "L do you know".

* * *

'_He's __**still**__ following me,_' thought Light as he headed down a staircase on his way to meet someone. '_**Perfect**__. This whole thing would just be a waste of time if he __**wasn't**__ tailing me._'

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Light was spotted by a raven-haired girl who called out his name, waving.

"A _date_?" asked Ryuk, almost incredulously.

"Yeah," Light replied. "It's a date, no matter how you look at it... And I'm sure even my stalker will see it that way."

Ryuk looked to him, asking, "But this _isn't_ just a date, _is_ it? You'd said that you'd figured out a way to find your stalker's name, so, tell me... what do you plan on doing?"

"Huh? Come on. Didn't you see what I wrote in the Death Note?" Light asked. "I explained it in great detail."

"No. Doing _that_ would take all the fun out of it," the Shinigami replied.

"In that case," Light began, walking ahead of him, "just be patient and watch what happens."

Reaching the woman, he apologized, "Sorry. Did I keep you waiting?"

"No, not at _all_," she replied, walking to his side as she spoke excitedly. "Anyway, I haven't been to Space Land since junior high."

Grabbing a hold of his arm, she smiled to him, saying, "I'm _so_ excited. And the best part is, I have you all to myself!"

"Uh, yeah," said the young man rather unenthusiastically as his stalker watched the two.

* * *

'_During the week,_' thought the FBI agent, '_he goes to school and cram school at night. Dates on his day off. A normal kid; just a hard-working senior in high school._'

'_Chief Yagami's son, Light Yagami,_' he thought, writing in a small notebook. '_No cause for suspicion._'

Seeing Light and his companion boarding a bus, the FBI agent put away his notebook, moving to follow them.

'_At any rate, I'll be done with my surveillance today... and that'll be it._'

* * *

Now on the bus, the woman with Light, named Yuri, looked over to him.

"I don't _get_ it, Light," Yuri said. "Didn't you say you weren't going out until entrance exams were over?"

"That was before I scored number one on the national practice exams," he answered as the FBI agent took a seat behind them.

"Oooh, you're such a _nerd_!" she replied with a giggle.

* * *

Not long after, the bus stopped to let on a man with large eyes and black hair cut interestingly, his hands hidden in the pockets of his jacket. His name was Kiichiro Osoreda, the criminal Light had written to hijack the bus in his Death Note.

'_It's him,_' Light thought, watching the man get on the bus. '_He's here. Seven passengers, excluding him; no one's in the way; everything __**should**__ go smoothly._'

Holding a gun to the driver's head, Kiichiro announced, "Stay in your seats unless you wanna die!"

As the passengers slightly panicked, the FBI agent watched.

'_A __**bus jacking**__?_' he thought. '_You gotta be kidding me._'

"_Everybody_, shut up!" Kiichiro shouted, looking at the passengers. "If anybody moves, I'm putting a bullet in their head."

He then looked to the bus driver.

"Alright, driver," he said, gun still pointed to the side of the driver's head. "You listen to me. I _know_ you got the number for Space Land's office on you. Call 'em!"

"Okay," the driver said, picking up his phone. "This is Sasaki, calling from bus one seven four."

"Tell 'em what's goin' on," Kiichiro ordered. "And no _tricks_ either!"

"M-My bus has been hijacked," the driver said nervously. "And he's holding a gun to my head."

"Gimme that," said Kiichiro, taking the phone from him.

"You _heard_ what he said. Now you listen up!" he commanded as he aimed his gun at the passengers. "Have a female staff member bring all of Space Land's cash from yesterday. I _know_ it's there! Have her meet us _two_ bus stops from the park, and _don't_ make me wait! If you mess with me at all, or try to get the police involved, I swear I'll kill every _one_ of these passengers!"

With his demands and threats made, he threw the phone down, stomping on it and breaking it into pieces.

Meanwhile, Light softly poked Yuri, showing her a note that stated that he would attempt grabbing the gun from the criminal when he turned around, the FBI agent behind them seeing and reading the note as well.

Leaning forward, Light's stalker spoke softly in warning, "Don't be stupid; that's risky. If it comes to that, _I'll_ take care of it."

Light began to write what appeared to be a note to the agent, but his stalker interjected, "It's okay. We don't have to pass notes back and forth. As long as we keep it down, he won't be able to hear our voices over the sound of the engine."

Crinkling up the note, Light stuffed it into his jacket.

"Do you have any _proof_ that you're not his accomplice?" he asked the FBI agent. "Why should we trust _you_?"

"Accomplice?" Yuri asked worriedly.

"Yes, I've _read_ about this before," he began to explain. "The first hijacker comes in like he's working alone. Meanwhile, a second one pretends to be a hostage and stays in the very back just in case something goes wrong."

The woman looked upset, Light asking, "What's the matter?"

"You... You really think he _is_ one?" she asked.

'_I... I have no choice,_' the FBI agent thought. '_I'm sure Light Yagami __**isn't**__ Kira. If he was, he could just kill this guy with a heart attack._'

"Here's my proof," the agent said, passing Light his ID. "Take a look."

Light looked closely at the man's ID.

'_**FBI**__?_' he thought. '_I see. L needed an __**outsider**__, so he got the FBI to investigate anyone connected to the Japanese police... His name is... __**Raye Penber**__._'

Smirking to himself, he handed Raye Penber back his ID.

"I trust you. And I guess, for the time being, I won't bother asking what an FBI agent is doing on the bus in the first place," he said over his shoulder. "Do you have a gun?"

"Yeah, I've got one," Raye answered.

"So if it comes down to it, I can rely on you, right?" asked Light, staring ahead at Kiichiro.

"Yes."

Up front, an old woman whimpered as Kiichiro moved, the criminal pointing his gun at her as she clung to her husband.

"Shut the hell up, you old hag!" Kiichiro shouted. "You want me to shoot you right _now_?"

Raye looked up, '_That's right; __**this**__ guy. His face was all over the local news just a few days ago. Some junkie. He tried to rob a bank; ended up killing __**three**__ people before he got away. He's __**extremely**__ dangerous._'

'_We're safe,_' Light thought, also watching Kiichiro. '_He won't shoot us. __**In fact**__, he's not gonna do __**anything**__._'

Barely moving his hand from inside his jacket, Light knocked a piece of paper out into the aisle, moving to pick it up.

Kiichiro noticed his movement, pointing his gun at the brown-haired student and shouting, "Don't move, you little punk!"

Obediently, Light froze in position, just out of reach of the piece of paper, Kiichiro walking over.

"What the hell is _that_?!" he shouted, bending down to pick up the paper.

"_Smart-ass_," he said, picking up the piece of paper. "You guys were _plannin'_ somethin' back here, weren't ya?"

'_Damn it,_' thought the FBI agent, watching Kiichiro closely. '_If he sees that note from before, he'll find out that Light was planning to jump him and take his gun away._'

Opening the paper, Kiichiro read it.

"_Tch_. Plans for a _date_, huh?" he asked, turning around and tossing it over his shoulder at Light. "Stupid kid."

'_Gotcha',_' Light thought, holding the piece of the Death Note that Kiichiro had picked up.

After coming out from under an overpass, the light struck and revealed Ryuk who was standing in the back, Kiichiro seeing the Shinigami from the corner of his eye and turning to face him.

Staggering back, he pointed his gun at the creature, demanding, "Who-Who the hell are _you_?! You, in the very back! What do you think you're _doing_?!"

"Don't mess with me!" the hijacker warned, Ryuk staring back at him. "How long you been hiding back there?!"

"What's this?" the Shinigami asked, tilting his head. "You're _talking_ to me?"

Taking a few steps forward, he asked, "So you mean you can actually _see_ me right now?"

"Stay there, you!" Kiichiro ordered, holding his gun steady in his shaking hand. "You... keep away from me, you freak!"

'_This isn't good; he's hallucinating,_' the FBI agent thought.

"Everyone, get down!" Raye shouted, all the passengers ducking down in their seats.

"Oh, _I_ get it," Ryuk said, finally understanding the situation. "That little note that Light _accidentally_ dropped was actually torn from the pages of the Death Note itself. Since he _tricked_ this guy into touching the paper, he's the only other one in the bus who can see me."

"That's so smart!" he concluded, moving toward the hijacker.

"Get away!" Kiichiro cried, firing his gun.

His bullet merely going through the Shinigami, he watched as Ryuk apologized, "Sorry, pal. I'm a Shinigami, so I'm afraid your bullets _aren't_ gonna kill me."

Terrified, Kiichiro screamed and unloaded his gun on the creature before him, but to no avail, the rear window of the bus bursting from a shot that went right through Ryuk.

Gun completely empty, the hijacker still pulled at the trigger as Ryuk informed him, "Anyone who touches the Death Note can see me. I have to stay till the Death Note is finished or I see you die - whichever comes first... And a Shinigami _can't_ die from being shot."

"I've said all these things at one time or another," the Shinigami said, impressed by Light's plan. "Well, he _is_ the top ranked student in the country... Guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"He even used this hijacking as a way to get the guy following him to _willingly_ give up his name," Ryuk mused, Raye Penber running through him to get to Kiichiro.

However, Kiichiro grabbed the driver.

"Let me off!" he shouted, the bus driver immediately stopping the bus.

Quickly, the hijacker got out of the bus, falling onto the street. An oncoming car attempted to use its breaks, but failed to stop, slamming into Kiichiro head on.

All of the passengers and the driver watched in silence at the scene, Light merely pushing up his sleeve and checking his watch.

'_Eleven forty-five on the dot,_' he thought. '_Everything went __**just**__ as I planned._'

'_Kiichiro Osoreda; accidental death,_' Light reviewed what he wrote in the Death Note in his thoughts. '_Boards the eleven thirty-one Space Land bound bus near the eastern entrance to the park, holding a loaded gun and attempts to hijack the bus. Sees a horrific phantom and empties his gun from trying to kill it. Terrified, he flees the bus. Immediately afterwards, at eleven forty-five, he dies when struck by a car._'

Everything happened just as Light had written, the young man closing his eyes.

'_The Death Note __**never**__ fails,_' he thought. '_You __**will**__ be next, __**Raye Penber**__._'


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Nicolae Carpathia likes world conquest. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter appears to be longer. It's also the chapter before my OC makes her official debut. Good for her, right?

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Four - Eight of Spades (Loss)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- After writing the cause of death, details of death should be written in the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds._

* * *

Stepping off the bus, Light heard the FBI agent's voice.

"You there," said Raye Penber.

"Yeah?"

"Listen carefully," the agent ordered. "I came to Japan as part of a secret investigation, so the local police can't find out that, um... that I..."

"I understand," Light replied. "I promise that I won't tell anyone that I met you and, of course, that _includes_ my father."

"Well, then," Raye said, turning to go, "please excuse me."

Light watched as the FBI agent weaved through traffic, leaving the scene.

'_It's __**just**__ as I thought,_' the young man thought with a grin. '_Anyway, I don't want the police to know that __**I've**__ come into contact with an FBI agent __**either**__... If my father ever found out, there's no __**doubt**__ he'd let L know._'

'_It's __**obvious**__ that he doesn't suspect me,_' Light mused, thinking of Raye Penber. '_And as for the police, I'm __**sure**__ they'll treat this as just another unfortunate accident._'

* * *

That evening, L's computer emitted another beeping sound, Watari speaking.

"L," he said, catching the detective's attention just as he was leaving the room. "Another victim. This one left what appears to be a suicide note."

Turning around, L walked over to the computer.

"Please, send it to me," he requested, Watari sending him the file.

Looking at the letter, he found what appeared to be the second part of a message which Kira was leaving for him.

'_Gods of death,_' he thought before adding the piece from the first letter. '_L do you know gods of death...? Is he trying to tell us that gods of death __**exist**__?_'

"Listen, Watari," he said, the woman who was ever-present in the room watching closely. "Tell the police to monitor prison populations _closely_ for the next few days... Kira may use _other_ suicide notes to communicate with us."

"Understood," replied the older man, L then closing the connection.

"What is it now?" Nyoko asked, almost wary of what he would say.

L stood and turned to face her, "It appears that Kira is sending messages to us via letters written by prisoners before their deaths."

"Well, that much I gathered," she said, standing. "What I meant was actually, is the message _worth_ anything or is he just toying with you?"

"It reads '_L do you know gods of death_'," he explained.

"Mhm. Yes, that's completely unhelpful," the woman replied, heading to the door.

"Goodnight," she said before taking her leave.

* * *

In the shopping district where Raye Penber was headed, Light stood near a wall, Ryuk beside him as they waited.

"This place is _crawling_ with humans," Ryuk noted. "Are you gonna do it here?"

"Let's just say you're about to see the results of all the research and experiments I've been doing over the last few days," replied Light, watching the crowd for his victim.

"_Experiments_?"

"Yeah," the young man said, hands in his pockets as his eyes scanned the crowd. "I've been using _known_ criminals who live in this part of town to test out different killing methods and I've really learned a _lot_ about the Death Note."

"For example, if I write a cause of death and the circumstances leading _up_ to it, I can _add_ a name afterwards and it'll still happen," he explained to the Shinigami.

'_Oooh, even __**I**__ didn't know that one,_' thought Ryuk, Light pushing his back off the wall behind him and pulling his hoodie over his head.

"He's here," Light told Ryuk as he watched Raye Penber. "Right on time."

Following closely behind him, he caught Raye's attention, "Mr. Raye Penber."

Raye stopped walking, about to turn around when Kira warned him, "Turn around and you're _dead_... I am Kira."

The FBI agent's eyes widened as Kira continued, "That's right. Don't turn around or put your hands in your pockets. I won't _hesitate_ to kill you here."

'_He __**couldn't**__ be,_' thought Raye. '_His voice... I've heard it somewhere._'

"But first, I'm gonna _prove_ to you that I'm Kira... Do you see the man working over there at the coffee shop?" he asked, Raye looking over to the shop to see a man sweeping in front of it. "That's right; the one sweeping the floor. I'm gonna _kill_ him just for you."

"But... But how?" Raye asked before backtracking. "Don't do it."

The man sweeping the floor, however, suddenly lurched forward, grabbing his chest and falling to the floor, people gathering around him.

"I'm afraid I had no choice but to kill him," Kira explained. "I figured if I didn't kill at least _one_ person, you wouldn't believe me... Although that man has been repeatedly charged with sexual assault, he's managed to avoid conviction _every_ time due to lack of evidence. He was a _menace_ to society. He got what he deserved."

"I can only _assume_ that L has already _informed_ you of this: I can't kill someone who I haven't _seen_. I have to know their face, which means, of course, I could _easily_ kill _all_ these people right now if I wanted to," Kira told the FBI agent. "Go ahead and _choose_ someone, if you want."

"D-Don't do it. I believe you. You're Kira," Raye replied, praying he wouldn't kill anyone else.

"I'm sure you care more about your loved ones than any of these people here," said Kira. "Imagine how you'd feel if one of _them_ was killed just because you refused to cooperate. I think you should consider _them_ the _real_ hostages at the moment."

"How do you know about her?" Raye asked, referring to his fiancée.

Kira chuckled, "You seem _surprised_. I've been _investigating_ you and if you don't do _exactly_ as I say, she will _die_ and so will the rest of your family, including you. And that's a promise."

"I-I understand," the FBI agent said nervously. "Just tell me what you need me to do."

"I see you've got your laptop with you," Kira commented. "I want the files containing the identities of _all_ the FBI agents who came to Japan."

"I _do_ have my laptop with me," Raye affirmed, gripping the handle of its case. "It's the one I use for work, but I don't have the files you're looking for."

"Alright. Then take this envelope," Kira said, handing him a manila envelope. "First, take the transceiver out of the envelope, then put the earpiece in and await my instructions."

He then walked away, making sure the FBI agent didn't catch a glimpse of his face.

* * *

'_A transceiver,_' Raye thought, taking it out of the envelope and putting in the earpiece. '_This thing looks like a __**toy**__. But there'll be no record of this transmission __**anywhere**__. __**And**__ it allows us to converse from a close distance, even underground... He really thought this through._'

"Alright," Kira's voice came through the earpiece. "Now get on the Yamanote line, inner or outer route. It doesn't matter which direction you take."

As Raye waited for the train, Kira warned him, "I'll be close by at all times, which means I'll be _watching_ your _every_ move. When you get on the train, pick a spot in front of you and _don't_ take your eyes off it. If I see you looking around, I _will_ kill you."

"Once you've boarded," instructed Kira, "I want you to take the seat closest to the doors. If it's occupied, wait until it's free."

After boarding the train and taking his seat, the FBI agent waited for further instructions.

"_Now_, I'm going to ask you something," Kira said as he watched Raye. "If I have even the _slightest_ suspicion that you're not being honest, your girlfriend is as good as _dead_."

"How many FBI agents are currently in Japan?" asked Kira. "Speak quietly into the transceiver and _don't_ make it obvious."

Raye held up the transceiver, answering into it, "I believe it's four teams; three agents per team for a total of twelve."

"Okay. Now take the papers out of the envelope," Kira instructed him.

Raye did as ordered, finding pages with cut areas.

'_What... is this?_' he wondered, staring at the contents of the envelope.

"Of those twelve agents you mentioned," Kira began, "I want you to write down the name of your superior - the one who's _heading up_ this investigation - in the space at the very top of the page."

'_What is the meaning of this? What is he after?_' Raye asked himself before writing the name in the specified space. '_Let's face it; he hasn't really left me any choice. __**Besides**__, it's not like he can kill them using just their names._'

"Next, take out your laptop and turn it on," Kira commanded. "Any minute now, your boss is going to send you a message with a file attachment. It contains the names and photos of _all_ the FBI agents currently active in Japan."

Raye received the message, looking at the list, '_But this... this is..._'

"_Now_, one by one, you're going to look at _each_ photo and then write that agent's name in the space provided," explained Kira. "You're going to do this for _each_ agent."

'_It doesn't make sense,_' Raye thought as he did as instructed. '_If he's got the names already, __**why use me**__? What's he planning to do with them?_'

Once finished, Raye closed his laptop, leaning back in his seat.

"_Good_. Looks like you're done," Kira said, watching the FBI agent's every move. "Now put the transceiver and all the papers _back_ into the original envelope and place them on the rack directly above your head. After that, you're going to stay in your seat and ride the train for _at least_ another thirty minutes. When you are _absolutely certain_ that nobody will notice you leaving _without_ the envelope, you can get off the train."

'_I __**know**__ that voice,_' thought Raye, desperately trying to remember its owner. '_Why on earth can't I remember who it belongs to?_'

Thirty minutes later, Raye Penber stepped off the train.

'_Kira... __**Who are you**__?_'

Suddenly, he felt a pain in his chest, Raye gripping his shirt tightly over his heart before slumping forward onto his knees, one hand to the ground. He heaved loudly and as the train doors began to close, he turned himself to look inside only to see Light Yagami standing in the doorway, holding the manila envelope.

'_Light... Yagami..._'

"Farewell, _Raye Penber_," Kira said as the doors shut between them.

* * *

That night, as he sat in his room, Light took out the pages of the Death Note that Raye Penber had unknowingly written on.

'_Raye Penber wrote all of those names on pages taken from the Death Note,_' the young man thought, looking over the pages. '_Ironic. Without even __**realizing**__ it, he was actually signing a __**death**__ warrant for all of his colleagues..._'

'_As for Penber's __**boss**__,_' he thought, smiling at the pages in his hands, '_**he**__ died of a heart attack __**after**__ sending all of his agents a file..._'

'_And the __**other**__ eleven investigators,_' he thought with a laugh, '_**they**__ all died of heart attacks after receiving the same file._'

* * *

"L, you have a call from the director of the FBI," Watari informed the young detective via computer link.

"It's me," the director said. "I've got a report sitting in front of me right now stating that all of our agents in Japan are _dead_."

The woman in the shadows hung her head, realizing too late what her cards had been trying to say.

'_A completion for __**all**__ of them?_' Nyoko thought, hand to her face. '_What was I __**thinking**__?_'

"All twelve died of heart attacks," the director went on to say. "I can only assume that _Kira_ is behind this... Look, I'm sorry, but... it's _already_ decided: we're calling off our investigation."

After a beeping from L's computer, Watari spoke.

"I have Chief Yagami on the line," he said, putting the Chief through.

"L," the Chief said, "I just got off the phone with the director of the FBI... According to him, it seems that you arranged for the FBI to come to Japan and investigate everyone here associated with the task force."

"Yes," L replied, back to his computer screen as he stood, facing the door. "I did."

"So how do you _explain_ this?" Chief Yagami asked. "Are we now suspects in our _own_ investigation?"

"I felt that it was _necessary_ to uncover Kira's identity," he informed the Superintendent.

"I _cannot accept that_!" the Chief declared. "I find it _unbelievable_ that you would spy on us - the _very people_ working with you on this case."

"Hear that?" one of the task force members asked. "Well, I knew _all along_ we couldn't _trust_ that guy..."

'_Idiots,_' Nyoko thought bitterly, staring at the spread before her after hearing the officer's words. '_If only they understood how it __**felt**__ to be unable to trust so many people..._'

"More importantly, Kira killed those FBI agents, didn't he?" asked another man on the task force.

"It's _obvious_ he'll kill anyone who gets in his way, whether they're criminals or not," the other replied.

"So much for his _sense of justice_; he's a _murderer_."

After a beep from L's computer, Watari announced, "We have another victim. A _note_ was found at the scene."

L clicked on the file, finding the third piece of his message, making the entire question to be "L do you know gods of death love apples?".

'_Damn you, Kira,_' he thought, glaring at the end of the useless message; a simple taunt so perfectly timed by Kira.

* * *

In her hotel suite, the woman sat, basking in total darkness.

'_L,_' she thought solemnly.

Nyoko had left him after he received the last of his message from Kira. She had known by his low growl that it was simply a taunt and nothing more, so she left the detective to give him some time to himself. After the twelve agents being murdered, the task force turning against him and Kira finally giving him the end of his taunting message, Nyoko knew L was not to be bothered until he called for her.

'_Regardless of whose side I'm truly on, seeing L go through all that was hard for me, even though I can only __**imagine**__ how he feels,_' she thought, sipping on her customary three cream, six sugar, one ice coffee which had been stirred to her liking with a strawberry Pocky stick.

Looking to the other seat of the small sofa, she saw the single possession that landed her knee-deep in the Kira game - a lone notebook with a red cover and foreign writing in silver - a Death Note - _her_ Death Note that she had yet to use.

"Funny how I found myself as a part of the Kira investigation team after I acquired my own Death Note, isn't it... _Kuro_?" she asked, looking slightly over her shoulder into the darkness.

"I'd call it fate, Mistress," the deep voice replied.

"Perhaps," she conceded, looking forward once more. "However, you'd think _Murphy's Law_ would catch up to me by now..."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the task force headquarters, Chief Yagami addressed the other members.

"We now know that Kira doesn't just target criminals," he said gravely, elbows to the table and hands clasped together. "He'll kill _anyone_ who opposes him. It's quite possible that we may _all_ be killed by Kira."

"Think of your _own_ lives - your families and _all_ the others you'd be leaving behind," he urged them. "If anyone wants to leave this investigation, _now_ is the time."

"You _won't_ be demoted if you choose not to stay. You have my word," he told the officers. "But if you're not _absolutely sure_, then we don't need you. You have to be willing to fight against him, _even_ if that means making the ultimate sacrifice."

"That is all," he concluded, bowing his head slightly.

* * *

After all those who wanted to leave the task force had left, the Chief surveyed the ones who had stayed.

"Five men, huh?" he asked. "Well, _six_, including myself."

Looking down, he added, "_Still_, I'm grateful to see that there are as many as _five_ of you willing to risk your lives to face evil."

L's masked voice commended them from his computer link, "The fact that you've chosen to stay means that you have a strong sense of justice. I _trust_ all of you."

"H-Hold on a second," said Aizawa Shuichi, a tall, black man with an afro. "L just said that he's decided to _trust_ us now... But, _honestly_, what reason do _we_ have to trust _him_?"

"Look, L," another man of the remaining six began. "_All_ of us have agreed to put our lives at risk to bring Kira to justice, so I _hope_ you understand what this means. We're _really_ sticking our necks out here."

"But _you_ never have to show _your_ face, _do_ you?" Aizawa finished the other man's thought. "You just _give_ the orders... I don't see how you expect us to work alongside you under those conditions."

A few moments later, the Chief added, "L... if all of us are going to work together on this investigation, and if you _truly meant_ what you said about trusting the six of us, could you come here so we could all meet in person?"

L's masked voice replied, "The thought had already crossed my mind. After all, I _did_ say that I trusted all of you."

Watari then turned around the computer, showing the screen to the remaining members of the task force. The screen read: I request that the following events remain a secret between the eight of us. I would like to meet with the six of you as soon as possible. Before that, I want you all to go outside of the police building and decide for certain if you trust me or not.

* * *

Outside the police building, the six men stood.

"Why is he seeking our help _now_?" asked one of the remaining men. "There's only _six_ of us... He's solved all these difficult cases _by himself_ in the past, so what makes this one so different? The way L's been conducting things so far, odds are he's gonna send a stand-in or a proxy of some kind to meet us instead of coming _himself_. It's not like _we'd_ ever know."

"A _proxy_, huh?" asked Aizawa thoughtfully. "Well, it _is_ possible..."

"I _believe_ L," Matsuda spoke up, walking closer to the others. "I think we can trust him... And, _besides_, I don't really see how we can solve this case _without_ his help."

"I agree," said one of the other men.

"From the beginning," the Chief said, standing at front of the group and looking out to the road, "he's been very up-front about the fact that he would need the help of the police on this case... Perhaps we should think of it like... he's been waiting for this to happen _all along_."

Matsuda asked, surprised, "Why would he _do_ something like that?"

"There were a number of people on the task force who distrusted L _before_ this investigation began," Mr. Yagami explained, turning to face the others. "And once we got started, we had detectives resigning left and right... Following that, classified information was leaked, so I'm not _surprised_ that he didn't trust us."

"In other words," concluded Matsuda, "he was waiting for the task force to get narrowed down to _only_ those investigators he could trust. And to do that, he needed to weed out anyone who wasn't totally committed."

The man who doubted L would reveal himself growled, "If we're working with _that_ guy, I'm _leaving_ the task force."

He then turned and began to walk back into the building, adding as he went, "You don't have to worry; I won't try to follow you. I'm not interested in finding _L_."

"Well, _I_ think we can trust L," said Ukita, "so I'd be willing to cooperate with him on this investigation."

"Count me in," another agreed.

The Chief nodded, all the men now decided.

* * *

'_**Kira**__,_' L thought, standing in his white, long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans before the large window of his hotel suite. '_It seems we're getting __**closer**__ to each other in equal steps. ...It's only a matter of __**time**__ before we collide._'

'_So be it,_' he thought, pulling his phone out of his back pocket and texting Nyoko. '_**I'm**__ ready to show __**my**__ face. I'll make my first public appearance as L._'

'_If you ever managed to __**find out**__ about these secret meetings,_' he mused, putting away his cell phone, '_I'm __**sure**__ you'd feel compelled to move in._'

He then clenched a fist, '_That's what I'm __**counting**__ on._'


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Kel likes orange soda. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter lets you see some of (OC)Nyoko's personality. To her credit, she's funny, at least in my opinion. However, she's somewhat rude and hypocritical in that she calls Matsuda out for rudeness. Also, some people find her annoying when she acts like she does in this chapter. So, here's part of my list:

**Good Traits:**

- Funny (to some)  
- Bold  
- Out-spoken

**Bad Traits:**

- Annoying (to some)  
- Hypocritical  
- Rude

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Five - Queen of Spades (Vulnerability) I**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- This note shall become the property of the human world, once it touches the ground of (arrives in) the human world._

* * *

The few members left of the task force, including Matsuda and Chief Yagami, now stood before the real L. The young man before them stood with bare feet against the carpeting of the hotel room, one foot rubbing against his ankle.

He was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a plain, white shirt with long sleeves, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. His hair was black and messy with lazy spikes while his eyes were a matching shade, dark rings under his eyes to indicate he slept fitfully or very little against ghostly pale skin.

With his lazy voice, the young man of twenty-four announced, "I am L."

'_This is him?_' the Chief thought.

The young man before him clearly contradicted anything he'd imagined as to what L looked like before.

"Hmm... He's nothing like I thought he'd be," Matsuda said while L rubbed the back of his head.

Finally, after their initial shock of L's true identity, they each showed him their ID and told him their names one by one.

"I'm very sorry we're late," the Chief apologized on behalf of everyone. "Currently, the five of us are--"

L lifted his hand slowly, forming a gun and pulling the trigger.

"Bang!" he called, startling the officers.

"What the hell was that?" Aizawa asked with slight outrage.

"If I were Kira, you'd be _dead_, Mr. Soichiro Yagami, Chief of the NPA," L informed the shocked policemen. "Kira needs a name and a face to commit murder, but I'm sure you've already figured that much out, _haven't you_? _Please_ do not give out your names so _carelessly_."

"Instead," the detective said, turning and walking into another room in front of them, "let's _value_ our lives."

"I _knew_ that he needed a _face_ to kill someone, but I don't remember _any_ evidence that showed that he needed a name, too," Matsuda said quietly to the Chief.

"There's no way to verify if this is related, but criminals whose names were never released publicly or whose names were spelled incorrectly in the media have _not_ been targeted," Soichiro told him. "We _briefly_ went over it at one of our meetings."

"That's enough _small_ talk for now," L announced. "Come this way."

"Oh, uh... Right," mumbled Matsuda.

As the policemen began heading into the room, L instructed, "Please turn off all your cell phones, handhelds and any other communication devices and leave them on the table right there."

"What; do you think we're going to be using our _cell phones_ during this meeting to leak information?" asked Aizawa defensively.

"It's alright," the Chief intervened. "Just do as he says."

The officers looked to the table, doing as told, though some more reluctant than others.

"I realize he's been cautious from the very beginning," Matsuda commented as he sat down his cell phone, "but I _still_ can't tell if he trusts us or not."

"_No_, I just find them _distracting_," the raven-haired detective informed them, moving to sit in his preferred seat. "I can't _stand_ it when people's cell phones are ringing while I'm trying to talk."

As the men walked into what was akin to their conference room, all noticing L's peculiar way of sitting with his knees up, L instructed them further.

"Let me start by saying nobody takes notes on _anything_ that's said in these meetings," he informed the men, staring at them with his black eyes. "That means that when we _leave_ headquarters, any information we _need_ is committed to memory."

"_Please_, make yourselves comfortable," he offered, the men walking in and taking their seats.

Once the others were seated, L poured himself some tea. As L took a sip of it, a knock was heard at the door in a little tune, the policemen looking at one another worriedly before looking to L.

"She's here," he said vaguely, hopping up out of his seat and going to the door.

L then opened the door and stepped back, letting a woman about five inches shorter than himself walk inside.

The woman was wearing a long, black trench coat which she peeled off and tossed away, letting it fall where it may. Underneath where the trench coat had been, she wore a plain black shirt with long sleeves that covered most of her hands, a white shirt over it with short sleeves that had black English print on the front in bold, MoolBoran font. It read: "I was someplace else before I was here." On the back, it was written in Japanese.

Below her shirts, she wore a pair of loose-fitting, black jeans, a chain going from a front pocket to a back pocket, and on her feet were a pair of black sneakers, black socks beneath, that she promptly shoved off using her feet, although she had to hop around in circles to get off the second one, kicking them toward her trench coat.

She then turned her dark blue eyes that were almost black onto L, asking, "Why is it you've called me?"

"Late... as usual," L drawled, hands in his pockets as he started to lead her into the room where the task force sat.

The woman smirked slightly, replying, "I got lost on the road of life."

Matsuda recognized her suddenly, "Hey, isn't that the negotiator known as Musiko?"

"Oh, good, you _know_ me already," she said with a smile before falling to the floor in some free space and sitting Indian style beside Ukita and Aizawa's chairs. "Pleasure to meet you all, gentlemen."

"_This_ is NK," L informed them, sitting back down in his seat in his usual position with his knees up to his chest. "NK is a part-time detective and a negotiator. I've brought her to work with you because of her special skills."

Matsuda looked between the two, "_Special skills_?"

"NK deals in possibilities; she can theorize multiple paths of how an event, conversation or anything in general could play out," said L, said woman fidgeting around in an attempt to get comfortable. "She also holds an intuition that has an eighty-eight percent success rate. NK also has useful hacking capabilities and is a skilled fighter. Beyond that, she is a psychic who can work with cards and runes. She is our link to all things Occult."

"You make it sound like I'm a necromancer on weekends," she muttered, gazing over her long, black nails.

Her comment resulted in a bit of laughter, albeit mainly nervous, from the men, the woman looking up and smiling slightly.

"Hm. Yes. It wouldn't surprise me," he muttered before looking to the others. "NK has aided me in various cases. So far, she has been _quite_ useful and the task force can use all the help it can get, as I'm sure you'll agree."

L then introduced all of the men, NK nodding to them all with a polite smile.

Once the introductions were over, Matsuda looked over to her, asking, "Um, NK?"

"Hm? Oh, and you're going to have to call me Musiko for some reason or another," she said, waving her hand through the air. "I don't know; I wasn't paying attention when L told me."

"Not surprising," murmured L.

"Ah. _Musiko_? Aren't you the negotiator who was going to be sent in at the site of the first murder?" asked Matsuda finally.

"Yes, I was supposed to make a _deal_ with him to release the hostages, but Kira got to him first, unfortunately," said Musiko, brushing back some of her long, grown out bangs.

L turned his attention back to his tea, taking a sip and thinking it was missing something. He then added a bunch of sugar cubes to it two at a time as everyone's attention turned back to him.

"Excuse me, L?" Matsuda asked.

"Hm? And from now on, I'll have to ask that you _stop_ calling me L; it's Ryuuzaki now, just to be safe," said Ryuuzaki, still fiddling with his drink.

"Uh, okay, Ryuuzaki," continued Matsuda. "If we know that he needs a name _and_ a face to kill, couldn't we cut down on the number of victims by keeping criminals' names from the news?"

"If we do that," Ryuuzaki began, "we'll only be putting the general _public_ at risk."

"The general public?" echoed one of the other men in confusion.

Another asked, "Why?"

"Kira is childish and he _hates_ losing," Ryuuzaki informed them, looking up from stirring his tea.

"But how do you--?" asked Matsuda, cutting his sentence short as the Chief interrupted.

"Just what do you mean?"

"Well... I'm _also_ childish and I hate to lose," answered Ryuuzaki. "That's how I know."

He then took a drink of his tea.

While all of this went on, Musiko pulled some strawberry Pocky from a packet in her purse, lazily munching at a stick as she listened to the others.

"Ryuuzaki, would you mind being a little more specific for us?" the Chief requested patiently.

"Early on in the investigation, I tried to provoke Kira with that broadcast," explained Ryuuzaki. "Up until then, we thought that Kira would only go after criminals, but as we _all_ witnessed, he didn't _hesitate_ to kill my stand in. Also, as soon as I said we knew he was in the _Konto_ region, in defiance, he made sure his next victims came from _within_ Japan as if to say, 'What are you gonna do about it?'"

He then sipped his tea as the other men took in this information.

"He's met each of my challenges head on and he's never missed an opportunity to return the favor," the raven-haired detective said. "Now what do you think would happen if we tried to use media restrictions to hide criminals from someone like that?"

Matsuda looked away, thinking it over, "I guess..."

"'If you choose to withhold the names of your _worst_ criminals, I'll kill _petty_ criminals or the innocent'," Ryuuzaki continued, speaking for Kira.

As he went on talking, Musiko tuned out the entire conversation and focused on something else entirely - namely, whether cheesecake was cake or pie.

As Musiko daydreamed, Ryuuzaki continued his explanation, mocking Kira's thoughts, "'I'm holding the whole world hostage, so who's it gonna be? I'm not the evil one here, but all those who oppose me by hiding criminals, you are _truly_ evil.' ...Mmm. That's _exactly_ how Kira thinks... In any case, let's look at another way we can use the media to draw him out."

"But how?" Aizawa asked, Musiko returning her attention to their conversation.

She immediately dubbed him afro man.

"How 'bout something like this; death of FBI agents infuriates the US - latest killings anger the international policing community - nations agree to send fifteen _hundred_ investigators to Japan," Ryuuzaki offered, the police listening intently. "For Kira, this will be _way_ beyond what he faced with the FBI. He'll see everyone as a potential threat; psychologically, he'll start to feel _cornered_ and that will cause him to take some kind of drastic action."

"That's interesting," one of the men said, though Musiko couldn't remember his name.

"So he'll think there are fifteen _hundred_ when there's really only eight of us," Aizawa concluded. "And since none of these investigators _exist_, Kira won't be able to _kill_ them."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious, for your astute observation," grumbled Musiko, Aizawa shooting her a glare.

"Good plan, but it's useless," she muttered boredly, popping her neck in a most undignified manner. "Oh, yeah... That's the spot."

"Care to elaborate, Musiko?" Ryuuzaki inquired before taking another sip of tea.

"Kira's not an idiot - that much I can tell for sure. You provoked him last time, but now he knows you're clever; he'll realize it's a bluff, just like the broadcast was a bluff. He'll think you're a one-trick pony," she said, smirking and chuckling. "It's useless, but you need to do it anyway, according to something my cards revealed before I came here."

After a long yawn, she stood up, "Can I go now? You guys don't really need me _now_, do you?"

"Musiko, sit down," Ryuuzaki commanded in a bored tone.

"Musiko this; Musiko that," she mocked as she sat down, making her hand talk. "Musiko, come here; Musiko, go away... I'm _not_ a freaking puppy."

"Musiko... are you menstruating?" he asked calmly, as if it were nothing.

She slumped forward, blushing deeply, "Yes..."

"Have you taken your Midol?" the young detective questioned.

"No _shit_, I've taken it! I'd be ten times _worse_ if I hadn't!" she replied, almost proudly, though she looked confused at her reaction briefly.

Ryuuzaki shrugged, "Have you eaten enough chocolate?"

"No. There is not enough chocolate in the _world_ to cover this one, thank you very much," she informed him. "Now stop nagging me like an old woman and... go back to your meeting... thing..."

She then waved at him dismissively.

The detective sighed, looking to the policemen who looked as if the conversation between the two left them feeling awkward, "I apologize for Musiko's behavior, but I _assure_ you, she is an invaluable asset. Her mastery of psychology may help us _greatly_ in the fight against Kira."

"You didn't tell us she studied psychology," Matsuda said, impressed and looking at the negotiator.

"You're looking at a woman who re-wrote Carl Jung impressively for her college-level senior thesis," he informed them all, almost proud for her as if she was unable to be proud herself.

Musiko looked up at Ryuuzaki, "You found that while investigating me? I forgot about that thing..."

She then looked away, feeling as if she had to prove herself.

"If you want my analysis, Kira is young - a teenager most likely - and he will be a student based upon his early habits. He is obviously idealistic and his idealism is fairly new as well."

Sighing, she rubbed her temples as she continued, "He has an ego the size of _Mount Vesuvius_. Kira rarely makes mistakes and when he _makes_ mistakes, it will likely be because he has been provoked to anger, which is what happened with Ryuuzaki's broadcast. Kira is the type of person who will be good at academics. He is also likely popular with his peers, which is gained from the knowledge that he has not killed anyone who might have personally done him wrong in the past who isn't also a criminal."

"Wo--" Matsuda began, but Ryuuzaki shushed him.

"Kira has a family, or at least people he wants to protect, because doing Kira's work without people you want to protect would be _pointless_ to even think of and normally wouldn't cross the mind of a person who has no one close to him in some manner," she explained, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Kira is naturally a cautious person; where he lives, or at least a _room_ he resides in most of his time out of school, would have some sort of security measure, no matter how insignificant it seems. Likely, there would be a false security measure to hide the real one - _that_ is how cautious he is."

"If there is an object of any sort that helps give him his power, Kira will either keep it with him at all times _or_, if that is not possible, he will keep it well protected in a place he visits often where hardly anyone goes. That place would likely be his home or his room. By 'well protected', I mean that there will be some sort of booby trap guarding the item," Musiko told them.

She sighed softly before continuing her analysis, "His power was obviously not something inherited or otherwise something he was born with based on his need to test his power, which suggests he has someone who gave it to him. The former thought was also supported by the fact that there are intricate and various rules concerning his power as my cards have told me; normally, something gained naturally will have few rules that are straight-forward whereas Kira's power has specific rules that an intelligent being must have made."

"This someone who gave him his power is likely _not_ very cooperative where information is concerned based on Kira's need to test his newfound abilities. Either that or the someone knows little about the power as well. His tests may have held a message as to attempt to divert the real reason for the killings in fact being tests," she said, fingers playing with her ear. "If the option is available to him and he is focused on as a suspect, he may relinquish control of his power. He might give it away temporarily, if possible, or he may know another who has the same ability."

"The one who gave him his ability may have the power to remove it, which might aid Kira in shifting the blame to someone else. For instance, he might be able to get rid of his power and have the one who gave it to him give it away to someone who will use it for their own ends as long as they will do Kira's bidding. Eventually, after he is cleared of suspicion, he may somehow regain the power."

"_Kira_... is human with human flaws," she said slowly, letting her words sink in. "Whatever gave him his power is likely... inhuman and or supernatural."

Matsuda looked to Ryuuzaki, asking, "Is the person or... _thing_ that gave Kira his power really inhuman?"

"Musiko's percentage for being _correct_ is eighty-two," Ryuuzaki informed them, taking a sip of tea before adding more sugar to it. "A few minor details may be incorrect by a chance of two out of five while one out of five is the chance of a major detail, such as the last in her analysis, to be incorrect. Overall, we need to keep in mind her analysis as it will likely be _useful_ to us in identifying Kira."

After another sip of tea, he continued, "As to the rest of my thoughts on the Kira case... Kira works alone."

His eyes then narrowed as his thumb rested to his lip, "He had access to all of our classified information."

"What evidence do you have that he's working alone?" Aizawa asked.

"Hold on, Aizawa," Chief Soichiro Yagami said. "Let's listen to his entire theory before asking questions."

"We know he needs a name and a face to kill... and to some extent, he can control the victim's time of death and their actions before dying," the young detective continued.

After a sip of tea, he then continued, saying, "We already know that much; please keep that in mind."

He then opened a black marker.

"And listen carefully to what I have to say next," he ordered.

"On September fourteenth, _twelve_ FBI investigators enter Japan," he told them as he wrote on the coffee table before him. "Here we are on December nineteenth. Using prison inmates, Kira conducts _experiments_ manipulating his victims' actions before they die."

"In other words," he continued, "during this window of only _five_ days, Kira became aware of the FBI's presence and obviously felt threatened. Because he didn't know any of their names or faces, he was at a disadvantage. He needed to know how much control he had over his victims before he could use it against the twelve agents and as we all know, on December twenty-seventh..."

* * *

Kira sat as his desk, thinking, '_I got a hold of a file which contained __**all**__ the names __**and**__ faces of the FBI investigators in Japan and I succeeded in killing __**each**__ of them... It's practically impossible to guess which agent gave the file to Kira, __**but**__... I have to make sure that no one ever finds out that I came into contact with Ray Penber._'

Behind him, Ryuk walked over to see the Death Note's owner wasn't using the notebook.

"Huh? How come you're not using the Death Note today?" he asked. "You studying for those entrance exams?"

"Those are the _least_ of my worries," Light informed him. "Plus, it's a little late to start now."

"Huh? Whatcha doin'?" the Shinigami inquired curiously.

"December nineteenth to December twenty-seventh, I've been most active during _this_ period," he said, pen running a curve on the paper before him.

* * *

"During this period," Ryuuzaki told the policemen and Musiko, "to the best of our knowledge, at least twenty-three individuals died of heart attacks. But _these_ victims were different from Kira's previous targets. They were _all_ alleged criminals, ex-convicts or suspects in ongoing investigations, so legally speaking, they were innocent."

"That's true," the Chief agreed.

"Like Kira cares what the _legal system_ thinks," Musiko added with a huffed laugh. "After all, he thinks he's above the law."

Matsuda looked over to her, agreeing, "That's true as well."

Regardless of her comments, Ryuuzaki continued, "What this indicates is that Kira had to manipulate these lesser criminals in order to _kill_ those FBI agents... He killed that many people so we'd be unable to tell the decoys from those who were actually used. In truth, he probably only needed a few."

"He waited eight days so the FBI could investigate other suspects," he went on, "which meant there'd be no _timeline_ linking them to their deaths... I suspect Kira _had_ to be one of the people being investigated by the FBI between the fourteenth and the nineteenth of December."

"In fact, I have no doubt," he concluded, still scribbling on the coffee table.

The others made sounds of realization, save for Musiko who didn't really feel enlightened. To her, it wasn't really surprising since she'd already went over information with Ryuuzaki previously.

"These are files provided by the FBI," said Ryuuzaki, holding up a bunch of papers as he looked at the others, "and they contain additional information you might find useful."

He then sat them back down on the coffee table.

"For obvious reasons," he informed them, "you're not permitted to take these out of this room, but--"

"Amazing!" Matsuda interrupted rudely. "There might only be five of us, but with this much information we can cover a lot of ground."

"Matsuda, dear," Musiko said with a soft smile, "it's rude to interrupt."

"Oh. Ah, sorry," he said, blushing slightly.

Aizawa added his own thoughts, "We'll split into two teams. One team traces the FBI agents; the other looks at the heart attack victims."

"There weren't _that_ many people who had access to information from headquarters," Matsuda continued, "and of those, the FBI only investigated a _small_ group in the first five days."

"Yeah. _Yeah_," Aizawa said, nodding excitedly.

"So," Ryuuzaki said in an annoyed tone that only Musiko seemed to pick up on, "does anyone have any _questions_?"

"Actually, Ryuuzaki," the Chief began, "I _do_ have one question for you... and it pertains to what you said to us earlier about how you hate to lose. Does the fact that you've shown us your face mean that you've lost? By just _being_ here, are you admitting defeat to Kira?"

"That's right," Ryuuzaki answered in the affirmative. "By showing my face to you now and by sacrificing the lives of _twelve_ FBI agents, I _have_ lost the battle."

His voice then deepened as he went on, "But I'm not gonna lose the war."

"This is the first time I've ever put my life on the line," he informed them.

"I want to _show_ Kira that we're _all_ willing to risk our lives, if that's what it takes," he said, slightly laughing as he smiled a smile which seemed foreign on his face, "and that justice will prevail no matter what."

"Hey, yeah. That's right," one of the policemen said.

"I like the sound of that," added Matsuda enthusiastically. "We can do this."

Aizawa agreed, "Alright then. Let's _do_ this, Ryuuzaki."

"Yaaaay, task force," said Musiko, giving the extent of her enthusiasm.

The others looked at her and she shrugged.

"I just feel silly about acting excited to risk my life, but you all continue with your merriment..."

She then waved at them dismissively.

Matsuda slightly laughed, rubbing the back of his head as he smiled, "I guess it _does_ sound kind of silly..."

'_Well,_' Soichiro thought, '_I had my doubts about whether it was really him at first, but there's no mistaking it; this man is L._'

"Before we go any further," Ryuuzaki said, holding his knees, "I have to be absolutely sure that none of you are Kira, so I'll need to speak with each of you individually before you leave today."

He then looked over to Musiko, "You as well, Musiko, just to be safe. And you will also be last."

"Of course," she said, shrugging.

"What's the deal; he _still_ doesn't trust us?" Aizawa asked the others.

"Wouldn't _you_ not trust anyone if you were the number one person Kira wanted to kill?" Musiko asked, looking at Aizawa with a stern gaze. "Stop whining about it and just do what he says."

"Yes," agreed the Chief, "I think it's a fair request."

The others looked to him.

"Try to see it from _his_ perspective," he said to them. "Kira's been getting information from our headquarters from the very beginning, so there's a good chance that he's one of us."

As Soichiro said this, Musiko watched Ryuuzaki get up from his seat and walk off to the window at the back of the room. She wondered how it must feel to never trust anyone, except for maybe one person. Sometimes, she wished he trusted her more, but she knew it must be truly hard for him to trust her at all.

'_I'm lucky he trusts me enough to let me work on this case,_' she thought, smiling sadly as she stared after him.

"Chief's right," Matsuda agreed, watching Ryuuzaki. "Working this case has given us a chance to see him in person."

"He's risking his _life_ to be here," said Aizawa, staring at Ryuuzaki as well.

Meanwhile, as Ryuuzaki looked out the window to the darkened city, he thought to himself, '_Things are going well... Just one clue - a single, decisive factor is all I need._'

* * *

'_Just one oversight,_' thought Light as he still sat as his desk. '_A single piece of evidence is all it would take... It __**could**__ cost me my life._'

* * *

'_**Just one thing**__,_' both Ryuuzaki and Light thought in unison.


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Musiko likes hot fries. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Six - Queen of Spades (Vulnerability) II**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- The owner of the note can recognize the image and voice of its original owner, i.e. a god of death._

* * *

"I apologize for questioning all of you like that, but I'm afraid I had no other choice," apologized Ryuuzaki.

It was now morning and he'd finally finished speaking to each policeman as well as the negotiator, Musiko.

"I've determined that Kira is not among us," he finally announced.

All the men gave a sigh of relief, Musiko falling onto her back from where she sat on the floor. She stared up at the ceiling, also relieved to hear Ryuuzaki's verdict. It would certainly screw things up if Kira had been among them all along.

"Ryuuzaki," Soichiro began, asking, "how can you be certain that we're all innocent?"

"Well, to be honest, from the beginning, I set a number of traps that would reveal if any of you was Kira," confessed the young detective, "but after speaking with you one-on-one, I don't feel the need--"

Suddenly a phone rang.

"Excuse me," said Ryuuzaki, taking out his cell phone and holding it between his thumb and forefinger as he held it to his ear.

'_Unbelievable,_' Matsuda thought with a scowl. '_He tells __**us**__ to turn off our cell phones..._'

"Understood," Ryuuzaki said into his phone. "I'm just about finished here anyway. You've got the key, so let yourself in."

He then pressed a button, turning off his phone.

"Watari's on his way," he informed them.

The men made puzzled noises, but Musiko was not surprised; she knew Watari and had known him for many years. It would be good to see him once again.

A man now stood before the policemen and Musiko, standing next to Ryuuzaki. He was old, with white hair and a white mustache, his wrinkled hand removing his hat which he held to his chest.

"Gentlemen, it's an honor to meet all of you," he said before his eyes fell to Musiko, those old eyes seeming to smile. "It's also good to see you again, Miss Musiko."

"Likewise, Watari," she replied, nodding slightly and smiling at him warmly.

"Um... What about your _usual_ outfit?" Matsuda inquired naively.

Watari answered, "If I dressed like that, I'd be announcing to the world that I am Watari. That's all it takes to give away the location of our headquarters and Ryuuzaki."

"Oh," Matsuda replied. "I see."

"Ordinarily," began Watari, "I would never show my face to _any_ of you. The fact that I'm here is proof that you've won Ryuuzaki's trust."

"Now that you mention it," said Matsuda as he rubbed the back of his head, "I _do_ feel honored..."

He then laughed unsurely, Musiko chuckling at his expression.

Watari held up a small case, saying to Ryuuzaki, "Well then, I brought those items you requested; it's all here."

"Could you please pass them out to everyone?" Ryuuzaki asked him as he looked to the older man.

"Yes," Watari answered, opening the box to reveal new police IDs for the men in the room. "Gentlemen, these are your new police IDs."

"But... what for?" one asked.

* * *

Once the policemen were given their new IDs, the Chief stated, looking over his new badge, "Our names and ranks are false."

"Why did you give us fake IDs?" asked Matsuda.

"As you know, Kira requires a name and a face to kill," Ryuuzaki explained to them, taking a sip of tea. "You will confront him with that premise in mind and I think it should be _obvious_ why."

"Yes, but... of all people, the _police_ shouldn't use fake IDs," one of the men said.

"Would you rather have a Kira-induced heart attack, guy whose name I can't remember?" asked Musiko bluntly.

"What choice do we really have given the capabilities of our enemy?" Soichiro Yagami asked. "As long as you're working on this case, I think we're going to need _all_ the protection one can get. It would be foolish not to use them."

"Um, that's basically what I just said in a more blunt manner... Does no one listen to me?" asked Musiko with a frown. "Besides, I think you guys should remember that Kira obviously had access to the files from your headquarters; he may already know your names... I'm not saying that to be... _negative_. I just don't want you to forget that possibility."

"I understand," the Chief said with a nod.

Matsuda replied, "Yeah, you've both got a good point."

"Uh-huh," one of the others agreed.

"Remember, any time you're in a situation where you have to give out your name to a stranger, make sure to use the name from your _fake_ ID," Ryuuzaki reminded them. "Understood?"

The men all gave a collective nod.

"That sentence was weird. Why would you have to give out your name to someone who's not a stranger?" Musiko asked, poking the tip of her nose with an inquisitive look.

Ryuuzaki turned his gaze to her, "I was referring to you, _mainly_, and your inability to remember two of these mens' names."

She blushed and laughed, "Yeah... You got me there."

He then turned his gaze back to the others, "Right, and be careful not to take them out when in the presence of other police officers. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that could cause problems."

The others nodded, Aizawa speaking, "I understand."

"Very well then," said Watari, opening another case. "I'd like to request that you wear these at all times, including you, Miss Musiko."

"Uhh... _Belts_?" Matsuda asked, looking at the items before standing with the others.

"Each one has a transmitter hidden in the buckle," explained Watari. "This will allow Ryuuzaki to monitor your whereabouts.

"And when you press the buckle twice like this," he said, pressing one of the belts' buckles twice, his phone then ringing, "my cell phone will ring, displaying your name, and I'll call you back immediately, but you won't see my number displayed."

"In the morning, all of you will go to the police station as usual, then, later on in the day, we'll use this method to confirm the name of Ryuuzaki's hotel and his room number," Watari explained to the men. "Please use this for emergencies as well."

"No way!" Matsuda exclaimed, adjusting his belt. "This is totally cool! I feel like some kind of secret agent, going after Kira."

"Quiet, Matsuda!" Soichiro scolded the younger man. "This is not the time to be fooling around. _Knock it off_!"

"Harsh much?" muttered Musiko, throwing a glare at Soichiro.

"Yes, sir," Matsuda said sheepishly, shoulders sagging.

In Ryuuzaki's hand, he held a collar, gesturing to Musiko, who walked over to him as beckoned.

"I knew you wouldn't wear a belt, regardless of how it might save your life, so I had a collar specially made for you, Musiko," Ryuuzaki said, referring to a black choker with a white skull and bones on the front with ruby eyes. "To use it, you pull either of the bones upward."

He then handed it to her, adding, "Once you pull a bone upward, my cell phone will ring and I'll call you immediately, though you won't see my number displayed."

"I see... Just my style, too," she praised, looking over the collar before putting it on. "Thank you for not making me wear one of those ugly belts."

'_I wonder why it makes __**his**__ cell phone ring instead of __**Watari's**__,_' she pondered silently.

"I expect you back here tomorrow morning," he continued, taking a sip of the last of his tea. "From now on, you will be known as my assistant, Musiko Hanabi... Also, I request that you stay after the others have left."

"Understood," she replied, sitting on the floor near him as she looked up to the other men.

'_I wonder what he wants me for after the policemen have left,_' Musiko pondered a second time.

* * *

The policemen had finally left Ryuuzaki's suite, leaving he, Watari and Musiko alone. Ryuuzaki then asked for some privacy and gestured for her to return to the room they'd previously been in. He sat in the chair he'd been in before leading the men out, knees aligned with his shoulders as his hands rested over them. Musiko simply stood, awaiting what he had to say.

"You may sit, Musiko," he said, gesturing to one of the couches.

Obediently, she took a seat, returning her gaze to him.

"What it is it you wanted to talk to me about?" she finally asked, impatient as ever.

Ryuuzaki picked up a sugar cube from the small bowl on the coffee table before him, popping it into his mouth.

"How have you been?" the young man asked at last, turning his gaze to Musiko.

She narrowed her eyes, "Like you _give_ a shit... If that's all you wanted, I'm leaving."

Ryuuzaki had never cared to know anything personal about her after their time in the orphanage together, even though he accidentally knew a lot of new things about her just by working with her. Still, he had never once acted like anything more than a superior to a subordinate ever since they reunited. Normally, she considered him a friend and would never say something like her previous statement to him, but being on her period clouded her judgment and he knew that.

The detective sighed, his bare feet rubbing on one another as he stared downward. He could recall his conversation with Watari before Musiko had come to aid him clearly; the older man thought Ryuuzaki was rather unkind to Musiko, who had always attempted to be his friend. Ryuuzaki had insisted she didn't want his friendship after how he had broken his promise that after he left the orphanage, he would go back to visit her, but Watari convinced him that she did. With this new information, he had felt guilty about treating her like a simple subordinate.

"I suppose I _deserved_ that. However, regardless of previous behavior, I do, in fact, care," he told her, Musiko blinking. "You have been a very loyal subordinate and it has come to my attention that you consider me a friend."

"I gave up on that thought before I decided to help you on this case," replied the negotiator. "You obviously either didn't understand or you didn't care. And after having you break your promise about visiting me after you left the orphanage, the only thing I could do was assume I was no longer anything to you, so it comes as no surprise."

She then stood, ready to leave.

"I apologize for misunderstanding you, Musiko," he said softly, looking up to her. "I have never had what I would consider a friend or... a girlfriend, except for you. I came to believe that our time together was... a mistake."

"So is that what I became to you - a _mistake_?" she asked bitterly, eyes betraying the hurt his words caused her.

"That's good to know, L," she said, turning and heading for the door.

Ryuuzaki frowned at her back, replying gently, "No. I didn't see you again because I was very busy and I knew that, because of my work, having any sort of attachment to you would put you in danger."

Turning around to face him, she scowled at him, muttering, "So then you wait a few years, see me on TV and then ask me to help you on your cases even though you _claim_ to think that doing so puts me in danger? None of that is _logical_, L Lawliet."

The detective rubbed his temples, sighing to himself. Whenever she called him 'L Lawliet', he knew he'd done something wrong. He _had_ realized that it didn't seem logical as well.

Looking up, he explained himself, "I came to realize that I was wrong - that you wouldn't want me to treat you as if you couldn't take care of yourself. I decided to trust you and I also realize I've taken your silent forgiveness and offering of friendship for granted."

"So, what, do you finally want to consider me a friend, then?" she asked, scowling back at him.

Musiko was unsure of his intent in apologizing; she didn't know if he was trying to let her down easy or attempting to accept her friendship.

"Forgive me, Musiko; I have not handled this kind of situation before," Lawliet explained to her, chewing his thumb.

"I understand," she said, which slightly surprised him. "You're the first one I ever considered a friend. And I'm not going to say this to make you feel guilty or so that you'll pity me, but to let you know how I really feel: it's been hard on me going all these years trying to be friends with you while you just _ignored_ my attempts. Having someone you consider a friend is no good if they only regard you as a contact."

"I see," he said softly, staring downward again. "Then I suppose it's too late to accept your friendship."

"No, it's not too late," Musiko told him, smiling softly. "After all, I decided a long time ago that I would give you all the chances in the world..."

* * *

_Nyoko Kurogawa had been at Wammy's House for three years now, but today would be different, for Nyoko would meet someone new. Normally, the young teenager didn't speak to anyone because she had social anxiety disorder; it caused her to be afraid of other people. Usually, if someone attempted to speak with her, she would either shy away or attempt to speak back, but only end up squeaking._

_Today, however, was going to be slightly different as she sat in a chair at a library table, reading her favorite book._

_"Sherlock Holmes?" a low, gentle voice asked._

_It was such a calm sounding voice and it made her feel safe, which she hadn't felt in a long time._

_"Yes. It's my favorite," she replied, not looking up from her book._

_"I see," the voice replied, its owner sitting in a chair next to her. "It's my favorite as well."_

_The girl smiled softly, still reading her book, "Is that so? ...What's your name?"_

_"I am L Lawliet," replied Lawliet, holding his knees as he watched the girl, never even realizing he'd given her his real name._

_He had seen her before and knew she couldn't speak to others. Lawliet could only assume she hadn't registered that she was actually speaking to a human being. He wondered to himself why she hadn't realized what was happening._

_"I see. They call me Musiko around here," she said, still reading her book._

_Lawliet smiled slightly, deciding to continue the conversation, "How long have you been here?"_

_"__**Me**__? Three years, five months and four days as of today," she replied, still immersed in her book. "What about you?"_

_"I stopped counting a long time ago," Lawliet told her._

_Truth be told, he was only talking to her because she intrigued him; he knew no one in the orphanage other than the adults had gotten this far in a conversation with her._

_"You __**are**__ aware of the fact that you're talking to a __**person**__, __**aren't you**__?" he finally asked, wondering what her reaction would be._

_"Of course! I'm not brain dead," she laughed, never looking up from her book._

_Lawliet looked surprised, but recovered quickly._

_"I had thought you were afraid of people," mentioned the boy curiously._

_"Yep, that's right. But you're not like the others," Musiko informed him with a soft smile._

_He tilted his head, thumb to his lips, "Is that so? ...How am I different?"_

_"You don't make a lot of sudden moves, you don't try to get behind me, your voice is pleasant, your mannerisms are non-threatening and you make me feel safe," she answered honestly, finally looking up._

_"I like you," she told him, smiling warmly._

_Lawliet's eyes widened and he wondered why she would like him; she barely knew him, but she seemed to sense something about him that he himself could not._

_"But I'm sure you just want your book, so I'll leave it to you, Lawliet," she said, sliding the book over to him and standing. "Good-bye."_

_And with that farewell, she walked off and out the library doors, Lawliet wondering if he'd ever actually speak to her again._

* * *

"So, we're friends," Musiko said, thinking it over. "Ironic that it only happens on the case where you'll probably end up dying..."

"I'm right here, Musiko," Ryuuzaki said flatly.

She blushed, "_Oops_... But, _you know_, if I can prevent it, I will."

"I know," he answered, smiling slightly. "And I will protect you, like always, Musiko."

* * *

_Lawliet's second encounter with Musiko wasn't a pleasant one; she was being bullied by some of the older boys and he happened to come across her accidentally. There were three of them as they were outside on a sunny day, one pinning her to a tree. She was looking away from him and letting him do exactly as he wanted, but the look in her eyes had been unmistakable; Lawliet __**knew**__ she was afraid._

_Before any of the four knew what was happening, Lawliet had kicked the one pinning her down from beside him, the older boy falling to the ground._

_"What the hell was __**that**__ for?!" the older boy asked, holding his cheek._

_"Leave her alone," Lawliet demanded calmly, moving to Musiko and taking her by the wrist with his thumb and index finger._

_He then led her to the library and into his favorite corner, letting go of her wrist immediately as he faced her._

_"How long have you been bullied, Musiko?"_

_"Well, it's usually not like that... but ever since I got here, people haven't been so nice," she answered, rubbing her upper arm absent-mindedly. "They either think I'm stuck up or that I'm not as intelligent as them because I don't talk to anyone but the adults..."_

_"Why didn't you even attempt to defend yourself?" he asked impatiently._

_She scowled at him, "Against guys that old and that big? If I fight back, I get hurt... I'm not exactly __**tough**__ by __**any**__ means, Lawliet."_

_The raven-haired boy smiled slightly at her pouting lips, replying, "I'll teach you how to fight, Musiko."_

_"Really?" she asked hopefully, Lawliet nodding. "Oh, by the way, thanks for helping me."_

_Musiko then rubbed her arm a little more as her head tilted slightly, the raven-haired girl asking, "I was wondering; why did you tell me your real name? I mean, everyone __**else**__ just calls you __**L**__."_

_Lawliet pondered that for a moment before finally replying, "I don't know... You can call me Lawliet when there's no one around, but otherwise, you should call me L."_

_"Oh, okay," she said, smiling happily. "My real name is Nyoko Kurogawa, so now we're even."_

_As he stared at her, he pondered over her question some more._

_'__**I think it's her eyes,**__' he thought, looking deep into her midnight blue orbs._

_They weren't bright, large eyes like those of pure-hearted girls in fairy tales, but rather they were small, dark eyes that sparkled with innocence and purity when she smiled. It made him smile just a little, despite himself._

* * *

"That's good," Musiko said, interrupting Ryuuzaki's memories as she stood. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. Good, uh... _morning_? Hell, I don't even _know_ anymore."

And with that, she left the famous detective to himself.


	8. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Naruto likes ramen. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** First of all, I forgot to mention it in other chapters, but if anyone wants to flame me, go right ahead. The fact that someone took the time to send me an angry review makes me proud.

Constructive criticism is good, too, but I _do_ check the stories of whoever it comes from before taking the advice. A person with zero stories is automatically ignored by principle. So, in closing, I accept all kinds of reviews, whether good, bad or on fire like a bag of flamin' hot cheetos.

In case you've forgotten the A/N part on chapter two, I'd like to remind you that I did, in fact, change Near and Mello's ages. They're only about five or four years younger than Musiko when they debut and in the flashbacks. Check chapter two's A/N part for details.

Also, if any items or songs pop up in these before the time they were actually made, just lol at the authoress and then pretend like she didn't make a boo-boo. Nobody's perfect.

**To Papercut Suicide:** Thank you for the review. I'll add more as suggested and hopefully you'll like it.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Seven - Two of Spades (Gain)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- The human who uses this note can neither go to Heaven nor Hell._

* * *

"That was footage from surveillance cameras at the station. The death of one of the FBI agents is captured on here," Aizawa said tiredly, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

He, Matsuda, Chief Yagami, L and Musiko were all in a dark room together, a couch in front of three TV sets.

While L sat on the couch, legs up like usual as he ate some ice cream on a cone, Musiko sat to his left on the arm of the couch. Behind the couch stood the Chief, Matsuda sitting behind a stack of tapes.

"Let's see the following scenes again," L ordered. "Raye Penber passing the ticket gate on his way in, then him boarding the train and finally the part where he dies on the platform."

Musiko rubbed her eyes which were sore from staring at the TV sets so long. Unlike the others, she wasn't the least bit sleepy because she napped through most of the time she was with them. She was only awake at the moment because Ryuuzaki wanted her to watch the surveillance tapes with him to get her input. Really, though, she wasn't certain she would be very useful.

Aizawa searched for the proper footage with a little help from Matsuda, Matsuda looking over a paper as he spoke, "Um... So, based on the records I have _here_, Raye Penber comes through the _west entrance_ of Shunjuku station at three eleven PM. Then, at three thirteen, he boards a train at--"

Instead of listening, Musiko yawned; she was pretty sure Kira was hidden in the last bit of the footage, standing behind the doors to the train as Raye Penber looked up at him. As for anything useful, that was all she had.

"That's quite strange, don't you think?" asked L, inadvertently returning Musiko's mind to the conversation.

While the others were given ice cream, Watari offered her snacks that he had shipped from America, which he and L knew were her energy foods. Unlike L with his energy-giving sweets loaded with sugar, she mostly required meats of various kinds. Right then, Watari handed her a packet of beef jerky.

"I'm sorry; _what_ do you find strange?" Soichiro asked, facial features looking just as weary as those of the other policemen.

"Yeah. What is it?" asked Matsuda. "Did you notice something?"

After taking a bite of ice cream, L replied, "Mmm... We know that Raye Penber got on the train and then an hour and a half later, he got _off_ and died on the platform, but the Yamanote line only takes an hour to complete its circuit. And more _importantly_, there's the envelope."

"You mean that thing sticking out of his front?" asked Musiko, her brow furrowed as she munched on some beef jerky. "I thought I was just seeing things."

"Precisely."

L then clicked a button on his remote, footage playing for the others.

Pausing it, he explained, "He's holding what looks like an _envelope_ when he passes through the ticket gate."

Aizawa's eyes widened as he finally noticed the small detail in the footage, "You're right; it's there, under his arm."

"But before his death, it's gone, right?" Musiko asked, looking down toward L.

"I can't _believe_ you actually caught that," Aizawa said to L in amazement.

The Chief then spoke up, looking over a piece of paper, "Well, I don't see an envelope on this list of his personal effects."

"Which means," L concluded, "it was left on the train."

He then clicked a button on his remote, adding, "And if you watch closely at the very end here, it seems like he's straining to look _inside_ the train before the doors close. You can see right here."

"That sounds like something Kira would do if given the chance," Musiko commented.

"What do you mean?" L asked, looking over to her.

She shrugged, "I just mean that _he_, of _all_ people, would want his victim to see his smug face before their death, if at all possible. He'll gloat when he gets the chance... Also, the way Raye Penber is positioned and looks indicates to me that he knew Kira before that encounter."

"How could that be possible?" the Chief asked.

Musiko cracked her knuckles, answering, "I think Kira is someone Raye Penber was watching while he was shadowing people. Kira might have met him at least _once_ before and managed to get his name. Not to speak ill of the dead, but the idiot probably thought the person couldn't be Kira and gave out his name. And all that adds up to why having people follow Kira suspects is only worth something if they get killed, which is sad."

"Kira couldn't _possibly_ have been there," Soichiro said, doubting her theory.

"I admit, I find it hard to believe as well," L stated. "There's no reason for Kira to come to the scene of his own crime when he can kill from a distance."

"Which is exactly what he knows you'll be thinking, so that's the perfect reason to make such a bold move," Musiko concluded. "Am I right?"

"Correct," L agreed before taking another bite of his ice cream.

* * *

"Yes?" Watari asked after answering the phone later that day. "Yes. Would you please hold for a moment?"

He then turned, looking to the detective who stood, barely gazing out a blind-covered window.

"Ryuuzaki, it's Ukita at the NPA," the elder man informed the young detective. "He says he's on the phone with someone from the tip line who has information for us."

L, Musiko and the others were now out of the darkened room full of surveillance tapes, much to Musiko's liking. Behind the young detective, Matsuda sat on a couch, Musiko sitting on the one opposite him. Her fingers were busily punching buttons on her Nintendo DS Lite, her tongue peeking out of the corner of her mouth as she carefully led Princess Peach's kart to victory.

"Riiight," Ryuuzaki said. "Then give Ukita the number for line _five_ and ask him to have the informant call _that_ line instead. It'll be safer that way."

"Mr. Matsuda, it's okay for you to turn your cell phone on now," said Ryuuzaki before amending his comment. "Actually, please turn it on right away."

Matsuda pulled out his phone, turning it on in time to hear it ring, Ryuuzaki snatching it up in his peculiar manner and answering it.

"Yes, this is Suzuki, head of Kira's investigation public information division," he drawled.

His eyes widened at the response he gained.

"Raye Penber's fiancée...?" he asked, looking to Watari. "Naomi Misora."

With a nod, Watari began typing in his laptop, Ryuuzaki pondering aloud, "Where have I heard that name before...?"

He then looked at the results on Watari's laptop.

Musiko tuned everything out, thinking to herself as she started another race on her DS.

'_Raye Penber had a fiancée, hm?_' she thought, eyes narrowing slightly. '_She obviously knew something she wasn't __**supposed**__ to if she's wound up dead or missing... Yes, dying or going missing now would be __**too**__ much of a coincidence. But how did Kira __**know**__ she had information that could endanger him?_'

Tapping her tongue to the roof of her mouth, she thought it over carefully, '_Perhaps... Kira's first encounter with Raye Penber should be a clue. Perhaps this __**Naomi Misora**__ made a connection that we could not for lack of information. ...Did she attempt to inform us at all, or was she stopped beforehand? The latter is unlikely; I see no possible way Kira could know that she had information before an attempt to give that information to us._'

'_Of course, I don't have all the pieces of this puzzle, so I may be missing something important,_' she reminded herself. '_But what if my __**gut instinct**__, which says she attempted to give out an important clue, is right? This may support the theory that Kira is one of the persons who were being watched. It would be quite the coincidence for Kira to intercept her, however... __**Still**__, stranger things have happened._'

Musiko's mind then refocused, her eyes lifting from her DS as she turned it off. Aizawa and Matsuda were standing near Ryuuzaki as he turned off the cell phone, handing it to Matsuda as he walked past them.

"Well, apparently she's been missing since the day after her fiancé died," he said as he walked by the two.

"I'm sure that _anyone_ in her situation would be pretty depressed," Matsuda offered. "Was it...?"

"Suicide," finished Aizawa, the two still watching Ryuuzaki.

'_Suicide,_' thought Musiko, turning her eyes away from the others toward the light of the window. '_The very suggestion of suicide feels off to me, but I have no proof of foul play; my intuition always has room for mistakes. But still... it just __**doesn't seem right**__._'

"No. The Naomi Misora _I_ knew was strong; not to mention, she was an _excellent_ FBI agent," Ryuuzaki told them. "If _anything_, it's more likely she'd be trying to _catch_ Kira."

Musiko looked up toward the detective.

'_So he knew her once,_' she thought, her fingers beginning to play with her bottom lip. '_Actually, I think I vaguely remember her from a case L had me on before..._'

"It appears she came to Japan with Penber," Ryuuzaki mused. "It's possible that she may have found a lead..."

'_If that's the case,_' he thought, thumb to his mouth, '_did Kira manage to get to her first?_'

Musiko's hand fell from her lips as she looked over to Ryuuzaki, fairly sure he was wondering if Kira had gotten to Naomi Misora. As for herself, she had little doubt that was the case.

"Everyone, at this point on, I'd like to focus our investigation on only those people Raye Penber was tailing," announced the detective, back still to the others as his hand had fallen from his mouth. "In particular, he was assigned to _two_ police officers and those closest to them."

"Very well," Soichiro said. "Who are these two individuals he was investigating?"

Musiko smirked to herself, thumb and fore finger tugging at her bottom lip; she could remember who Raye Penber had been assigned to quite clearly. She wondered what the Chief would do when he heard who they were.

"Deputy Director Kitamura," Ryuuzaki began, looking slightly over his shoulder to Mr. Yagami, "along with... Detective Superintendent Yagami and their families."

Musiko's lips twitched with amusement as she watched the Chief's shocked expression.

"At this stage, I'd like to place wire taps and surveillance cameras in both households," the raven-haired detective informed them, turning to face them.

"Surveillance cameras?" echoed Matsuda. "_Ryuuzaki_..."

"_I_ don't see how you could even _consider_ this," Aizawa spoke up. "If this got out, we'd have a _civil rights_ scandal on our hands! We'd _all_ lose our jobs!"

"You told me you'd be willing to risk your _lives_ for this investigation," Ryuuzaki reminded them, "but you wouldn't risk your jobs?"

"Ryuuzaki, risking your life means that if you _die_ you no longer have need of anything and since humans are selfish they forget they leave behind families who need them in their initial thought processes regarding death," Musiko explained in a patient manner. "But to lose your job while still _alive_ results in complications to the act of living, as well as the act of living for one's family, which is at the forefront of a human's mind, _ergo_, the two ends are very different when in initial thought processes and it's completely logical to worry in this manner."

"Yeah; what _she_ said!" Matsuda agreed rather loudly.

"Matsuda, you don't even _know_ what she said!" retorted Aizawa.

Ryuuzaki conceded, "You have a point, Musiko. However, if one's life is at risk, I find it logical to assume one's job may possibly be at risk as well, albeit secondary, however at the forefront of one's mind that may or may not be."

"I completely agree. I didn't say they _should_ feel that way, just that it was logical for the amount of time they had to process the information," she replied, shrugging.

"I see," he said, hands buried deep in the pockets of his blue jeans as he locked eyes with her.

"Ryuuzaki, what are the odds that Kira is in one of those households?" Soichiro asked, diverting them from the previous topic that seemed to be going nowhere.

Ryuuzaki broke his gaze toward Musiko, eyes lifting upward as he thought a moment before replying.

"_Maybe_ ten percent," he answered. "No, it's closer to _five_ percent."

His eyes then briefly met Musiko's before turning to the police officers.

"_Seriously_?" Matsuda asked. "I'm sorry, but it's not worth the risk."

"No," the Chief said firmly, staring hard at the floor beneath him. "Of all the people we've investigated so far, not _one_ of them seemed even the _least_ bit suspicious. Even if there's only a _one percent_ chance, we simply can't afford to ignore it."

"_Chief_?" Matsuda asked, surprised by the older man's thoughts.

Soichiro looked up to Ryuuzaki, "I don't have to tell you how _offended_ I am to learn my family is under suspicion. Having said that, just go ahead with it."

'_What an honorable man he is,_' Musiko thought, the corners of her lips falling into a frown as she began to tug at her bottom lip once more. '_It would be hard to believe his __**offspring**__ could be Kira, but wouldn't that just be such an interesting plot twist?_'

"And make sure you install them everywhere," the Chief added. "I don't want any blind spots in the house, and that includes the bathroom."

Musiko came out of her thoughts, eyes turning to Ryuuzaki.

'_Don't say something notoriously blunt and unfeeling now, L,_' her mind warned.

"Thank you very much," the detective said, "that was my intention."

The negotiator sweat dropped, '_I believe I've just confirmed that L's not a mind reader..._'

"Come on, Chief! You don't have to agree to this!" Aizawa told him.

Matsuda agreed, "Yes, he's right; think about your family. You've a wife and daughter at home, don't you?"

Soichiro turned to face them, saying firmly, "Yes, I'm well aware of that fact. But there is no point in doing this if we can't be thorough. Now, _I suggest you keep quiet_!"

Musiko frowned lightly, eyes watching the entire scene as she remained wisely silent. After a moment, Matsuda apologized softly, the negotiator sighing.

"No, it's okay," Soichiro said quietly, calming down. "Excuse me."

He then walked off to a corner of the room as Ryuuzaki walked over to the couch opposite of where Musiko sat.

Ryuuzaki sat in his usual manner, slightly glancing over his shoulder to the other two men, "As a curteousy to the Chief and his family, only he, Musiko and I will conduct surveillance of their home."

Supposing there was nothing interesting left to watch, Musiko shifted to lie down on the couch, her back and shoulders at the arm rest as she turned her DS on once more and drifted away from the noises in the room.

"Watari," Ryuuzaki said, "how long will it take to prepare the wire taps and cameras we need?"

The elder man answered, "Well, starting tomorrow, I can set them up at any time, provided we know when both houses will be empty."

* * *

For Musiko, watching Light Yagami via the hidden cameras in his household was boring, but she got a feeling about the Chief's son that was definitely not good. She chose to keep it to herself for the time being, however, especially because the Chief was in the room and she didn't want to incite his rage. But the more she watched the brown-haired high school student, the more suspicious she became.

'_Wouldn't it be so convenient?_' she thought, sitting behind Ryuuzaki and Soichiro. '_If Light Yagami turned out to be Kira, I would finally be able to meet him. I could tell him my secret and then--_'

Musiko was interrupted from her thoughts as Chief Yagami spoke.

"I don't believe it," he said, watching his son handle the small security measures he had placed on his door. "I never knew he went to such great lengths... What could he be hiding in there that he doesn't want anyone else to see?"

"For a seventeen year old kid," Ryuuzaki observed, "I wouldn't say this kind of behavior's particularly abnormal. When _I_ was his age, I did strange things, too."

"No offense, Ryuuzaki, but you're not exactly a good example of normalcy," Musiko quipped.

She immediately slapped her hand over her mouth after she said it.

"I didn't mean that to come out so harsh," she assured him. "S-Sorry."

The corner of his lips twitched upward briefly; he supposed she was correct in that assessment.

"Point taken," he conceded, then spoke to Soichiro. "Have you ever _talked_ to your son about the investigation?"

"Of course not," the Chief answered indignantly. "I've never _once_ revealed classified information to my family... _Besides_, I don't get to see them too often these days and usually, as soon as I get home, all I can do is sleep."

"I understand," Ryuuzaki assured him, his eyes returning to the screens.

* * *

On the screen, Light was looking at a pornographic magazine. Musiko, however, didn't buy it.

'_What kind of __**dork**__ looks at porn and __**doesn't**__ jack off to it?_' she pondered, frowning at the screen. '_The kind that's never been laid, I suppose._'

"I can't believe my son is looking at _those_ magazines," the Chief finally said, watching his son do the unthinkable.

"It's normal for a seventeen year old," the detective assured him.

"_Normal_?" Musiko asked incredulously. "He's just _looking_. That considered, it's a little strange, don't you think? I mean, a _girl_ might just look, but you never hear of a _guy_ who just looks... It's _too_... rated PG thirteen."

"What are you inferring, Miss Hanabi?" the Chief asked in a stern, demanding tone.

She sighed, asking, "What is the point of asking me if you already know? Playing _dumb_ isn't helping."

"It seems contrived," Ryuuzaki said, ignoring them. "It's too obvious. The only reason he didn't want anyone in his room is because he had these magazines? That's what he _wants_ us to think."

"Hey," Soichiro said, glaring at the detective, "that's my son you're talking about. Are you _honestly_ telling me that you suspect him?"

Ryuuzaki confirmed his thoughts, saying, "I _do_ suspect him; that's why I placed wire taps and surveillance cameras in your house and the Deputy Director's house."

'_Owned!_' Musiko thought jovially.

* * *

On screen, Light and his mother sat at their kitchen table, eating dinner, while Sayu, Light's younger sister, was watching television.

Ryuuzaki held up a cell phone as he watched the surveillance screens, Musiko still sitting behind him as she watched the screens boredly.

"Hello. Mr. Aizawa? Are the Kitamuras watching television now?" he asked.

Musiko faintly heard his words as Aizawa replied, "Yes. He's not home, but the other four are watching while they eat dinner. It's channel four."

"Watari," Ryuuzaki said, "please contact the broadcasters and tell them to play our message."

"Very well," the elder man replied. "Understood."

hr

"Huh? What's this?" muttered Sayu.

On the television, a message came on, Sayu announcing it for her mother and brother.

"ICPO? They're saying that in response to the Kira murders, Interpol has decided to dispatch a force of fifteen hundred investigators to Japan," she said. "The investigators were drawn from the law enforcement agencies of its member nations."

"Fifteen hundred investigators?" she echoed in awe. "_Woah_."

'_Chances are, they've got cameras in the living room as well,_' Light thought, looking at the television screen. '_**Regardless**__ of whether this news is real or not, it's obvious they're just trying to evoke a reaction from me._'

'_L,_' he thought, holding back a laugh as he bowed his head. '_This is the exact same trick he used __**last**__ time._'

Looking up, he gave L his thoughts, saying, "The ICPO sure is stupid."

"Huh?" his little sister asked, looking over to him.

"I mean, there's no _point_ in making this announcement," he explained. "If they're gonna send all these people here to investigate, shouldn't they keep it a secret? Even the FBI agents who were _secretly_ investigating were _killed_ by Kira."

"Why would this be any different?" questioned the young man. "If you ask _me_, this is nothing more than a desperate attempt to _shock_ Kira in the hopes that he'll _reveal_ himself somehow. Quite frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if Kira sees _right through_ this."

* * *

"Told you so," Musiko muttered, digging through her purse and taking out some beef jerky.

'_Kira is __**so**__ predictable,_' she thought, chewing on a strip of beef jerky as she watched the screen. '_Light Yagami fits __**all**__ of my qualifications perfectly; he's the number one person to suspect. And, if I'm correct in thinking that Light Yagami is Kira, I'm one step closer to meeting him. It's just a matter of time..._'

Ryuuzaki laughed lightly as he watched Light carefully.

"Your son's clever, isn't he?" he asked the Chief.

"Well, yes," Soichiro replied, knowing that fact likely made his son look even more suspicious.

Musiko nibbled on her beef jerky, eyes narrowing in thought, '_Now that I'm so close to completing step one of my plan, I think it would be a __**perfect**__ time to speak to Kuro..._'

Clearing her throat, she spoke up as she stood, "Excuse me; I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Where are you going, Musiko?" Ryuuzaki asked, still watching the screens intently.

She rolled her eyes, replying with attitude, "To the _restroom_, if that's okay with _you_."

Huffing, she turned and left the room, shutting the door behind her as she headed for the nearest bathroom.

* * *

"After dinner, your son just goes back to studying without turning on the TV or his computer?" Ryuuzaki asked, watching Light as he studied in his room with no distractions.

What Ryuuzaki and Soichiro _didn't_ see was the small LCD TV hidden in the chip bag Light had brought to his room, the young man writing names on the pieces of the Death Note inside it.

The Chief replied as he continued watching the screen, "It's because the entrance exams are five days away."

Ryuuzaki looked to Soichiro briefly before returning his gaze to the screen to watch Light once more.

* * *

Now in the bathroom, Musiko sat on the toilet lid, looking upward. She was looking into the black-pupiled and red, cat-like eyes of a Shinigami.

"Kuro, I've decided," she said firmly, legs crossed and hands clasped together on one knee.

The Shinigami was large and made up of black, gray and silver colors. He had a long snout like that of a wolf's with shiny, white teeth and fangs on a furry, black head with two medium length, silver horns like those of a goat. Kuro's ears were like those of a short-haired black wolf, standing tall and pointed, each with a small silver ring pierced near the top outer sides.

His body below his head was covered in short, black fur, resembling a werewolf with slightly muscular features, his arms long and lanky with long, slender fingers, his long and razor sharp claws that were black. Lower down, he wore a black loincloth, his long legs covered in fur, but shaped like a velociraptor's legs, though more flexible and upright, three black talons on three bony, fur covered toes.

Behind him trailed a long, black tail like that of a wolf, but longer. And lastly, upon his back were demonic black wings, the undersides gray, and silver claws on the top, outer end of each one. When spread open, they reached a wingspan of twenty-five feet, but when in closed quarters, they sunk into his back.

The hooked talon on his left foot tapped on the tiles of the bathroom floor as Kuro looked down at the woman before him. He had watched her from the Shinigami realm for many years and was somewhat enamored with her, thus he had managed to acquire an extra notebook, purposely going to the human realm and bestowing it upon her.

That had been nine months ago and the woman still had yet to find the opportune moment to use the notebook, meaning she had not written down a single name, Kuro risking his life by not enforcing her use of the note. Even so, he still regarded her as his mistress and called her as such.

"You accept the terms to the offer then, Mistress?" he asked, one wolfen ear twitching with doubt.

Musiko smiled up at him, "Yes, Kuro. It's the perfect time to acquire the Eyes now that I'm so close to meeting Kira."

"So you have found him at last," Kuro thought aloud, tail swaying back and forth. "Then I will give you this power."

Flicking his claw at her, he granted her the power she sought, reducing her remaining lifespan by half.

She opened her eyes, which flashed a red color, Musiko blinking the power away.

"Thank you, Kuro," she said, smiling up at her Shinigami. "Kira hasn't made the deal for the Eyes; that much I'm certain of now that I've concluded who he is. I would be useful to him in two ways now. Soon enough, I'll befriend him as planned..."

* * *

"Ryuuzaki?" Watari asked, walking into the room with a sheet of paper in hand.

"Yes? What is it, Watari?" inquired the young detective, Musiko still missing.

Watari then informed him, "A few minutes ago, a bank clerk being questioned on suspicion of embezzlement and a purse snatcher being held in a detention center were broadcast on the news; they both just died of sudden, inexplicable heart attacks."

"It's _him_ again," Soichiro declared as he stood.

"While all that was happening, at your home, your wife and daughter were watching television," Ryuuzaki said, still watching the screens intently. "When it was over, they turned the TV off and didn't watch anything afterwards. From just passed seven-thirty until now - eleven o'clock - your son's done nothing but study. Kira needs a name and a face; without those, he can't kill. So I suppose anyone who didn't watch the news can't be Kira, _right_?"

"You said it yourself," replied Soichiro. "That means my family has been cleared."

"It doesn't make sense that Kira would kill two petty criminals right after their identities were broadcast," Ryuuzaki mused aloud.

Soichiro looked down at the young detective in surprise.

"I know it's only the first day after the cameras were installed," the detective said, "but the Yagami household seems almost _too_ innocent to me."

He nibbled at his thumb in thought as Musiko walked in, closing the door behind her softly.

"Anything happen that I should know about?" she asked, returning to her chair.

All the while, Kuro followed behind her, completely unseen, sitting on the floor beside her chair once she was settled.

"There were two more heart attack victims, Miss Musiko," Watari informed her.

She hummed in acknowledgment before looking away from Watari and back to the screens.

"I see," she finally said, taking notice of Mr. Yagami's countenance.

'_I have no __**doubt**__ that Ryuuzaki still suspects Light Yagami,_' she thought, fingers tugging at her bottom lip. '_From the look on Mr. Yagami's face, I'd say L must have rendered him speechless with that fact._'

"Excuse me," the Chief finally said, leaving the room to regain his composure.

Musiko watched him leave, muttering to herself, "I don't think he likes me too much."

"_Hm_?" came L's voice as he continued to diligently watch the monitors.

"I just said that I don't think Mr. Yagami likes me too much," she replied, playing with her bottom lip as she stared at the closed door.

"That would be logical, considering your earlier statements," replied the detective, slightly surprising Musiko with the fact that he actually made an observation about something on an emotional and social level.

"Congratulations. Your emotional IQ just went up by two points," she praised in a sarcastic manner, L smiling slightly.

"_Musiko_?" he asked.

"Yuh-huh," she acknowledged, digging in her purse and pulling out some strawberry Pocky.

He nibbled on his thumb lightly, saying, "I realize that it's early in the investigation, but I'd like to request that if I _die_, you will work with my successor. Will you agree to that, Musiko?"

Musiko chewed some Pocky before replying, "I guess so, but I'd like to know beforehand who your successor will be."

"The title is between Near and Mello," L informed her. "Do you remember them?"

She laughed lightly, "How could I _forget_?"

'_I even remember the day I __**met**__ those two,_' she thought with a small smile.

* * *

_"Oh, a puzzle," Musiko said softly, standing slightly behind and to the left of a younger boy with white hair._

_She walked forward, sitting before him and slightly to the side, watching him put together the puzzle, one of his fingers lightly twirling a strand of his hair._

_Once the boy had finished the puzzle, he dumped the pieces out and began again, Musiko silently marveling at how fast he could complete it. The boy, Near, simply ignored her, thinking she may be one of those few, odd girls who had a crush on him, though there weren't many females he knew of in the orphanage._

_For a while, she simply sat quietly, attempting not to bother him as he worked on the puzzle. Once he finished and dumped the pieces once more, however, he looked up to her, finally seeing her face. She looked back at him with a small smile, eyes looking so innocent that he thought it might break her heart if he told her to go away. And normally, Near didn't even __**think**__ of such things._

_'__**Well, she **__**has**__** been very quiet,**__' Near thought to himself, examining her face to keep it in his memory._

_"Am I bothering you? I just wanted to watch," said Musiko, staring back at the boy._

_Near didn't answer her question, but rather inquired with hopeful eyes, "Do you like toys?"_

_She smiled, eyes lighting up, "Yeah. My favorites are Rubik's cubes and Legos."_

_He smiled slightly, pleased at her answer as he replied, "My favorites are jigsaw puzzles."_

_"Oh! I'm called Musiko," she told him, smile never faltering. "What should I call you?"_

_To Near, she seemed like a pleasant girl, not at all like his one or two fan girls who were annoying. Of course, he may be overestimating her based on the fact that she liked toys._

_"I'm Near," he replied before looking back down to his puzzle._

_"Near... That's a nice name," Musiko thought aloud before continuing to watch him put together his puzzle. "By the way, you've probably heard this obvious fact before, but you're really good at that puzzle."_

_"Thanks," replied Near, though his mind got distracted with wondering why she was bothering to talk to him, incidentally causing him to make a mistake on his puzzle._

_"Oh, I guess I'm distracting you," the girl said, noticing his mistake._

_She stood up, Near looking up at her._

_"I hope I get to talk to you again, Near," she said, bowing slightly before walking off, the white-haired boy looking back down to his puzzle before dumping the pieces out and trying again contently._

_As she was leaving the room, someone caught Musiko by the wrist, the girl looking back to find a boy with blonde hair that she thought to be cut at a medium length, his blue eyes staring back into hers. He seemed to be looking for fear, but Musiko didn't feel afraid, only staring back at him and wondering what he wanted._

_The blonde-haired boy, Mello, stared into the eyes of the first female he'd ever seen Near regard with something other than disdain or nonchalance. In fact, he had even noticed that Near made a mistake on his puzzle because of her, yet he didn't get annoyed. Mello had also seen the other boy smile because of her, a smile a rare occurrence for Near._

_Still holding her wrist, his eyes challenged her to do something - __**anything**__ - like jerk away from his grasp, tell him to let go or anything else that he could use, but she just stared back at him, waiting patiently._

_"Musiko," said Lawliet's voice, interrupting their locked gaze._

_Musiko looked towards the door, seeing Lawliet standing there in his usual attire, with his usual hunch and his hands buried in his pockets, like usual._

_"Oh, hey, L," she said before looking back to Mello, Lawliet walking over and standing behind her._

_Mello's eyes left the older boy and returned to the girl, daring her to say or do something once again, but all she did was occasionally blink as she stared back into his eyes._

_Lawliet rubbed the back off his head absently as one of his bare feet rubbed his ankle, the raven-haired boy wondering why Mello was bothering her._

_'__**She must've talked to Near,**__' he thought._

_"Is he bothering you, Musiko?" he finally asked, locking eyes with the younger boy._

_Musiko looked over her shoulder, replying, "No. All he seems to want to do is have a staring contest. I've already blinked a lot, though."_

_Moving forward, Lawliet pried each of Mello's fingers from her wrist before taking her by the hand._

_"What's your name?" Musiko asked the blonde-haired boy, her head tilted to the side almost like a puppy._

_"...Mello," he answered, staring into her eyes._

_Her eyes prevented him from replying rudely, Mello unnerved by how innocent and kind they looked._

_"I'm called Musiko, in case you didn't hear," she said, smiling softly before her head tilted again. "Will you talk to me again?"_

_Mello flustered, taking a step back as he didn't know what to say to her friendliness. His look of confusion and uncertainty must have been conveyed clearly because she frowned a little, looking sad._

_"Don't you like me?" she asked softly, eyes staring back into his with hope._

_Lawliet leaned toward her and whispered in her ear, "Your friendliness is scaring him."_

_Musiko looked confused, asking aloud, "He wants me to be __**mean**__ to him? __**That's**__ kinda weird."_

_The raven-haired boy laughed, Mello looking over to him, even __**more**__ unnerved that __**L**__ had actually laughed. For the first time since he could remember, the blonde-haired boy was flabbergasted._

_Mello's expression clearly read of his thoughts, '__**What alternate dimension have I stepped into?**__'_

_Suddenly, Musiko sniffed in Mello's direction before smiling and announcing, "You have chocolate!"_

_Mello looked slightly surprised, pulling his chocolate bar from his pocket. He'd forgotten he had a bar on him, opening it and taking a bite._

_"You... like chocolate?" he asked the girl hesitantly._

_"Yeah, I __**love**__ chocolate!" she said enthusiastically, smiling back at him._

_Unsure of what to do, he stared into her eyes, which almost seemed expectant of something, and before he knew what he was doing, he held the chocolate bar toward her lips._

_With a smile, she took a bite, obviously not shy about eating after someone as she munched on the candy._

_"Thanks," Musiko said._

_Mello smiled slightly, thinking she was kind of cute and that anyone who smiled like her and loved chocolate couldn't exactly be scary. Finally, he relaxed, holding out the bar once again after taking a bite. Usually, he didn't let anyone __**near**__ his chocolate, but the look in her eyes seemed to tell him that she'd be heart broken if he refused to share._

_Lawliet looked between Mello and Musiko, wondering if Mello would actually befriend her; after all, he was willingly sharing his chocolate with her. But Musiko __**did**__ seem to have a strange effect on people when she talked to them. Lawliet had given her his name, Mello shared his chocolate with her and Near, as he saw earlier, had been nice to her._

_Once they finished the chocolate bar, Musiko even getting the last bite, she smiled up at Mello._

_"Thanks for the chocolate," she said happily._

_Mello gave half a smile, "...Sure."_

_"I hope I get to talk to you again, Mello," she said, bowing politely before dragging Lawliet away by the hand, talking to him animatedly._

_By instinct alone, Mello looked over his shoulder to Near, slightly surprised to catch the white-haired boy looking back at him._

_Near immediately knew what Mello was thinking and decided it wouldn't be a bad idea, Mello nodding to him before marching off._

_The competitive pair suddenly had a new competition._

* * *

Holding his knees, L smiled almost unnoticably from his memory, the exchange between Mello and Near at the end seen from the slightly opened door in the room. He could also remember that neither Near nor Mello had won that competition and he really doubted either one had been very serious about it.

'_It would be interesting to see her meet them again,_' L thought, hoping he would live to see that event.

"You wouldn't think it, but Near was the one who took care of me after you left," Musiko said offhandedly, digging through her purse.

L looked over to her, curious about her statement, before returning his gaze to the monitors.

"Mello just nodded 'hello' to me once in a while after he found out Near was with me even more than _you'd_ ever been," she told him, talking around the strawberry Pocky stick she was sucking the flavor from. "Near actually told me about their silly competition and that Mello was probably mad that Near had obviously won... I got a little upset about that, but he told me he'd forgotten about the whole thing since he didn't really care about winning. Of course, that made it sound like he didn't care about me, so I got mad again."

Pulling out another stick of Pocky, she looked over to the intently listening detective, wagging it at him.

"You know what he did to shut me up?" she asked, though she answered immediately after. "He _kissed_ me! Do you believe that? Near kissing someone is like Mello hating chocolate - _totally unbelievable_."

"Near kissed you?" echoed L in disbelief.

'_Even as a last resort,_' thought the detective, '_Near wouldn't approve of that idea..._'

"Yes," she replied, thinking it wasn't _that_ big of a deal, even if it was surprising.

"What else happened after I had left?" L asked, thinking he must've missed a lot.

"Uh... A lot of things, actually," she told him, looking to the monitors. "Near helped me come out of the depression I put myself in. We were pretty close after that... He said he blamed you for my being depressed and suicidal."

"You were suicidal?" he asked her, surprised his leaving would affect her so deeply.

"Yeah," she said casually, as if it was nothing. "He said something once about how you broke me and he had to fix me like a puzzle... He kept giving me toys, too; he was a good friend... He still _is_ a good friend."

"You still keep in contact with Near?" the detective asked, knowing Near hardly let anyone, even L himself, keep in contact with him.

She nodded, answering, "Sure. I know where he is, where he's going to go and I know when he gets there. I've known ever since he left the orphanage and started working on his own. Sometimes he calls me, but we usually use coded emails... I've been helping his work longer than I've been helping you. Once in a while, I even help Mello, but we don't keep in close contact."

L was completely surprised that the woman he would call his childhood girlfriend actually managed to keep up with the two younger men who were competing to be his successor. It also sounded as if Near had gotten closer to her than L had ever imagined the white-haired boy would be with anyone.

"Interesting," he said, filing her information into his memories.


	9. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than the world likes silly love songs. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** I was doing some survey for writers about my story and it asked me what I would say the theme song for this story would be. I thought it was a really good question, so I sat for hours listening to music stations on TV. I think I stayed about three hours, grooving to oldies, the 90's and the Hit List channel, which made me lol because of the name and writing names in the Death Note is like making a hit list.

Anyway, I finally heard one song that just stuck out among the rest and seemed to make sense with the story, so I chose it as this fic's theme song.

It's _Name_ by the Goo Goo Dolls.

That song just has so many ways it could possibly fit into the story that it was perfect, in my opinion, and I just thought whoever's reading this might like to know.

Also, you may have noticed that I don't show many scenes with Kira/Light. I decided I wanted to mainly focus on L's side of the story and keep Kira a little more mysterious.

**To Illegitimi:** Thanks for your reviews. I agree with your points about Mary-Sues and I found it interesting that you liken L to Sherlock Holmes for two reasons: I feel the same way and I also make a mention of Sherlock Holmes in the story with a Sherlock Holmes book being L's favorite book as a child. I thought it would be so perfect to have him like a book about the one I relate him to. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

**by KuroShinigami13**

* * *

**Chapter Eight - Jack of Clubs (Shame)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- If the time of death is written within 40 seconds after writing the cause of death as a heart attack, the time of death can be manipulated, and the time can go into effect within 40 seconds after writing the name._

* * *

"Hey, Ryuuzaki," Chief Soichiro Yagami caught the onyx-eyed man's attention.

The detective was watching the screens while Soichiro worked behind him, Musiko hidden in the room, taking a nap on the floor.

"Yes?" the raven-haired detective asked.

"I've been thinking about the purse snatcher and the embezzler's heart attacks two days ago," the Chief mentioned. "It seems my family _couldn't_ have had any knowledge of them before they died."

He then faced Ryuuzaki's back and asked, "Shouldn't that resolve any doubts you have?"

"You _may_ be right," the detective conceded whilst chewing on a fork. "Even though Kira can control the time of death, I don't think there's any way he could have _arranged_ their deaths without having seen the broadcast first."

Now awake, Musiko sat up, rubbing her forehead.

"You know," she began, popping her neck, "I've been thinking of all the possible ways Light could have still seen the broadcast and I've come up with only one way, which seems completely crazy."

"Go on," Ryuuzaki ordered.

"Well, his sister said that Light Yagami doesn't usually eat snacks right after dinner, like you told me," the raven-haired negotiator began to explain, standing from her spot on the floor. "Isn't it unusual that he diverts from his habit just when the cameras are placed in his house?"

"What are you trying to say, Miss Hanabi?" the Chief questioned, eyes narrowed as he stared at her.

"What I'm getting at is - and I _know_ this sounds pretty wild - that potato chip bag may not have been what it seemed," she told them, the pair hearing her out. "There had to be a blind spot somewhere and a small type of TV can be placed inside. So, he could have seen the names and faces via the chip bag..."

Musiko let those words sink in before confessing, "I know, it's really out there, but that was all I could think of that could have happened if Light were Kira. Oddly enough, it would also explain why Kira only got to kill these petty criminals."

"Your son has come home," Ryuuzaki said to the Chief, Soichiro turning to look at the monitors.

Musiko scowled at their backs, "Well, I may be crazy for thinking of all that, but you people don't have to _ignore_ me."

With a huff, she exited the room, heading for the bathroom.

* * *

In the bathroom, Musiko sat on the closed toilet seat, looking up at Kuro with a smile on her lips.

"I never would have thought about a small TV hiding in the chip bag, Kuro," she said to the Shinigami. "How on earth did you think that up?"

Kuro laughed deeply before replying, "Shinigami eyesight is far better than a human's. I saw it quite clearly."

"So Light Yagami truly _is_ Kira," she mused, one leg crossed over the other and bobbing up and down excitedly.

Musiko stared off to the side, pondering when she would get to meet the infamous Kira, her eyes then returning to Kuro.

"Kuro, will you do me a favor?" she asked, Kuro nodding in agreement.

"I will do whatever you wish, Mistress," he assured her, fangs glinting as he grinned.

Musiko smiled softly, requesting, "Go to Light Yagami's home and give his Shinigami a message that he should pass on to Light. Tell the Shinigami that I have a Death Note and the Eyes. Also, tell the Shinigami to keep who I am a secret from Light when he sees us if he wants to make things interesting. That's all I need you to say to Light's Shinigami."

"When shall I contact him?" Kuro asked.

She tapped her forefinger to her chin, pondering when would be the best time before her hand fell.

"When you see Light's Shinigami in Light's room on the monitors where Ryuuzaki sits - that's when you should catch him," she concluded. "Do so as soon as possible."

"Understood, Mistress," the Shinigami replied, licking his fangs. "Do you have any of that beef jerky?"

She grinned, taking a packet of beef jerky from her pocket and opening it up. Together, they began to share the beef jerky, talking about everything from the Kira case, to what Light's Shinigami looked like, to whether cheesecake was actually a pie or a cake.

* * *

Walking into the room where Ryuuzaki and the policemen were - a different room from that of the monitors - Musiko caught the beginning of their discussion as she chewed on her last strip of jerky.

"In the past few days," began the young detective, sitting near the others in his usual manner, "I've listened to _all_ of our audio recordings and reviewed the video footage we captured. I've gone over them _many_ times... and I've come to a conclusion."

Pulling a sweet from its wrapper, he continued as Musiko sat on the floor next to his chair, "Our surveillance of the Kitamura and Yagami households has revealed... nothing."

"What a colossal waste of time," Musiko muttered as Ryuuzaki ate his piece of candy.

'_But really, it __**wasn't**__ a waste completely,_' she determined to herself. '_After all, __**Ryuuzaki**__ suspects Light Yagami and I __**know**__ Light is Kira now, so the whole ordeal __**was**__ most helpful to me. But it's better if I play along, as usual._'

"We will remove the cameras and wire taps," the young detective informed everyone, the negotiator containing a sigh of annoyance.

'_This means Kuro has to catch Kira's Shinigami at a different time,_' Musiko thought, noticing that Kuro wasn't with her. '_He's probably still in my suite next door, trying to find my beef jerky stash..._'

Matsuda sighed deeply, the stubble on his face showing how much he'd been working.

"All that and we _still_ don't have any suspects," lamented Matsuda, wishing that their efforts hadn't been in vain.

"It's okay, Matsuda," the Chief assured him, looking over to Matsuda as he pushed up his glasses. "We'll have to pursue other leads, but we'll get him."

"Please don't get the wrong idea," Ryuuzaki interjected, sucking chocolate from his fingers and eating another candy. "I only said that we were unable to reveal anything suspicious _based_ on our surveillance."

"What?" questioned the Chief.

Ryuuzaki went on, still savoring his candy, "Even if Kira was among them, I'm sure he wouldn't make it obvious. No, _in fact_, it could mean he was able to continue killing without doing _anything_ outwardly suspicious."

He then picked up his tea and stirred it.

"Well, then you believe that Kira _is_ among one of those families," Chief Yagami concluded.

"As I said," the detective began, eyes landing on Soichiro, "there's a five percent chance."

'_Kira __**never**__ stopped killing people, even while the surveillance cameras were in place,_' Ryuuzaki thought, slowly taking his spoon from his tea. '_I still have no idea how he's been able to commit these murders, but... let's say he __**could**__ kill someone simply by wishing death upon them. You'd think that any human being would have shown __**some**__ emotion - some sign that they were __**knowingly**__ committing an act of murder._'

'_So the __**obvious**__ conclusion is that Kira couldn't __**be**__ one of them,_' the detective's thoughts admitted, Ryuuzaki remembering Light's comments about the announcement on TV regarding the agents. '_**However**__, what if he __**is**__ one of these people we've been watching? If he __**is**__, we have to assume that his psyche has reached __**god**__-like proportions, punishing evil-doers without the __**slightest**__ change of expression. It almost makes me want to __**believe**__ that Kira doesn't exist - that this is just the __**wrath**__ of a vengeful god._'

'_But __**that**__ idea is completely absurd - to think that __**god**__ would need a person's face and name to kill them,_' he concluded to himself. '_**No**__! These aren't acts of god, but someone very childish and immature who wants to __**pretend**__ they're god; that's what's going on here._'

He then set down his cup of tea, continuing to think it over, '_A mass murderer who calls himself Kira __**exists**__ somewhere, I'm sure of it, and I __**will**__ catch him, but I can't count on Kira making any mistakes. It doesn't matter __**how**__ long we watch him, he's not going to __**expose**__ himself to us. So what should I do?_'

'_**Ideally**__, I would get to know him well enough that he'd __**admit**__ to me that he was Kira and show me __**how**__ he kills,_' the young detective thought, thumb to his lips. '_Would that even be possible?_'

* * *

Musiko sat on the closed lid of the toilet in her bathroom at the hotel, Kuro standing before her.

"They got rid of the cameras and wire taps, which means you can't see when Light's Shinigami is in his room now," she informed Kuro, eyes not meeting his. "I suppose that means you should just wait in Light's room until they get there."

She then looked up to Kuro, "Can you _do_ that for me?"

"Of course, Mistress," he answered, turning and phasing through the wall.

"Good," Musiko said to herself. "Ryuuzaki will meet Light soon, as will _I_, so my plan is going _perfectly_."

* * *

Phasing through Light's bedroom wall, Kuro found Light at his desk and the Shinigami lying on the boy's bed. Standing before the Shinigami, he put his forefinger to his lips to keep the other death god quiet. After a small, almost undetectable nod from Ryuk, Kuro began to talk.

"I was sent here by my Mistress with a message for Light, if you would tell him," Kuro explained to his fellow Shinigami. "My Mistress wishes you to tell him that she has a Death Note and the Eyes."

Ryuk gave a small nod, thinking things were getting even _more_ interesting.

"Also, and do not say this to Light, but, Mistress asks you to keep who she is a secret from Light when you see us together, if you want to make things interesting," added Kuro. "By the way, aren't you... _Ryuk_?"

Again, Ryuk gave a small nod.

"I see," said the other Shinigami. "I remember you vaguely... Now I must go."

He then phased through the wall once more, wings expanding as he made his way to return to his Mistress.

"_Uh_, Light?" Ryuk asked, knowing the wire taps and cameras were now gone and getting the boy's attention. "I just saw another Shinigami whose '_Mistress_' has a message for you."

Light turned, looking at Ryuk with a surprised expression.

"She says she has a Death Note, obviously, and the Eyes," the Shinigami informed him. "That was it."

Turning back around, Light thought to himself, '_So there's another Death Note owner in Japan. But how does she __**know**__ I'm Kira? Have we __**met**__ before?_'

* * *

Sitting in class, Light's exam began. He had no idea that L sat a few seats behind him, or that Musiko, the other Kira, sat in the back, left corner of the room.

The teacher then noticed something, walking past Light.

"You there," the teacher said, standing near Ryuuzaki. "Student number one-six-two. Sit properly in your chair."

Light glanced backward to see a shoe and sock-less Ryuuzaki sitting in his strange manner, the pair's eyes meeting as Musiko watched from afar.

* * *

Back in the Shinigami realm, a bunch of Shinigami sat together, one walking over to the group.

"It seems like a lot of Shinigami are observing the human world lately," he mentioned, his voice sounding old and almost rusty. "What's _with_ that, anyway?"

Another looked at him, replying, "It turns out that Ryuk is being kept by a human."

"What's he thinkin'?" one of them asked, his mouth practically non-existent, though his jaws and teeth were visible. "Seriously."

"He's a _disgrace_ to the _pride_ of the Shinigami," said another.

The previous one corrected him, "No, I'm talking about the _human_ who's keeping Ryuk... _Who_ would want _him_ as a pet? Aren't pets supposed to be _cute_?"

The others laughed, one agreeing, "When you're right, you're right!"

"So what's the story on this human _anyway_?" asked the Shinigami with a headdress of feathers. "Is it a male or a female?"

"Who knows?" replied one with long, white hair.

"In that case," the former said, "I think I'd better go take a closer look..."

The white-haired Shinigami mentioned, "I seem to remember _Kuro_ going to the human realm some time ago, too..."

"Has he found another female to _obsess_ over already?" one asked, the others laughing.

* * *

It was now the day of the two thousand seven To-Oh University entrance ceremony, Light viewing the sign above the building. He wore a nice suit with a striped tie, standing in front of Ryuk as sakura blossoms danced through the wind.

"You're a _college_ student now," Ryuk mused. "That's kind of exciting. I'm filled with joy."

* * *

Elsewhere, Musiko stood by herself near the building where the To-Oh University entrance ceremony was being held, her back to a wall as she watched the front of the building.

"You've become a college student again; how interesting," said Kuro with a grin.

Musiko smirked, looking over to the Shinigami.

"It's the only way to get close to Kira," she reminded him. "Otherwise, I would have _declined_ this part of the job."

"I see Ryuk, Light's Shinigami," Kuro informed her, pointing toward Light.

"He's here, then. Good," Musiko replied, pushing her back off of the wall.

Kuro then glanced around, obviously looking for someone before asking, "Where is the other human - the one known as L?"

"I don't know where he is at the moment," she admitted, looking over her shoulder to her Shinigami with a smirk on her lips. "It's not _my_ day to watch him."

Kuro chuckled, the two then heading for the building.

* * *

"Now for the freshmen address," a man standing before a podium announced, "freshmen representative Light Yagami."

Light stood from his seat, "Yes."

"Ooh, wow," muttered Ryuk, looking at the stage where Light was to give his address.

As Light headed up to the stage, the man added, "And freshmen representative Hideki Ryuuga."

"Oh. Uh, here!" Ryuuga called out.

Musiko watched with a small grin as 'Ryuuga' - L - headed up toward the stage. For once, he was wearing sneakers, although they looked highly used, Musiko huffing a laugh to herself. A couple of girls beside her bickered about which of the two representatives was better-looking, asking Musiko for her opinion.

With a snide smirk, she tossed her long, raven-colored hair over her shoulder and replied haughtily, "Who cares which looks better when you can have either one?"

The other two girls, who Musiko had summed up as nerds, whispered back and forth to each other about her. Their expressions told Musiko that they were both insulted and awed by her confidence. Of course, she had only acted so snobbish to make them leave her alone.

Meanwhile, Light thought to himself as he ascended the stairs to the stage, '_I __**knew**__ I'd be giving the address with one other student... but I never expected __**this**__._'

Behind him, Ryuuga trailed closely, Light glancing over his shoulder to him.

'_I remember him from the exam center,_' he thought, looking at Ryuuga's lifeless, black eyes. '_He got into trouble for sitting __**oddly**__ in his desk. It seemed like he was off in his own world._'

Once they both stood behind the podium, Light gave his speech, which Musiko tuned out.

'_These things are always so __**boring**__..._' thought the young negotiator, checking her long, black-painted nails.

"I think I like the one on the right," one of the girls to Musiko's right said.

Said girl had short, black hair with bangs and glasses resting on her nose, her skin very pale.

"What?" the other, a brunette, asked, looking over to her. "You're so _weird_, Kyoko. Look at how he's dressed!"

The two girls began clapping as Light finished his address, Musiko clapping as well; she was interested to see what L was going to say, though, her attention fully on the detective. He pulled out a folded paper from his pocket and held it by the top corners between his thumb and forefingers, Musiko smirking slightly. As he read, however, she realized it sounded a lot like what Light had said and was twice as able to put one to sleep from the way L droned it out.

As Light made his way down from the stage, L spoke from behind him, "Light - Light Yagami. Your father is Soichiro Yagami of the NPA. Your respect for your father's matched only by your strong sense of justice."

'_Who the hell __**is**__ this guy?_' Light pondered as they went to their seats, now in the front row beside one another.

"You're planning to join the police agency when you graduate," L went on to say. "And you've already got experience seeing as you've helped the police on a number of cases in the past. Now, you're showing an interest in the Kira case."

"I'm impressed by your abilities _and_ your sense of justice," he praised, Light staring forward as he listened intently. "If you promise not to tell anyone about this, I have important information _concerning_ the Kira investigation that I'd like to share with you."

Light's brown eyes turned to Ryuuga, '_Where's this __**coming**__ from? And who __**is**__ he? Is it __**safe**__ to just i__**gnore**__ him? But... I wonder what this information actually __**is**__._'

Closing his eyes, he finally replied, "I won't tell anyone. What is it?"

Ryuuga whispered, "I want to tell you... I'm L."

'_**What**__?_' Light thought, eyes wide with shock. '_There's no way... What's he __**talking**__ about? If he really __**was**__ L, he'd never __**admit**__ to it. I __**thought**__ this guy was a bit strange, but... this is pretty extreme._'

'_N- Stop. This isn't good,_' he told himself, eyes closing as he calmed himself down. '_**Don't**__ act surprised. On the off chance that he really __**is**__ L, I have to act how Soichiro Yagami's son, Light Yagami, would act in this situation._'

He then opened his eyes and turned his head to face the piercing gaze of Ryuuga.

'_There'd be no __**reason**__ for him to be afraid,_' Light reminded himself determinedly.

"If you _are_ who you _say_ you are," Light began, "then you have nothing but my respect and admiration."

"Thank you," L replied. "The reason I chose to reveal my identity to you is because I think you could be of some _help_ to us on the Kira investigation."

'_Light Yagami,_' L thought, staring ahead. '_The likelihood that you are Kira is just under five percent. Even so, something tells me I'm not wrong to suspect you, but you're just too __**perfect**__. If you are Kira, I can't think of __**anything**__ that would put more pressure on you than this little scenario._'

Ryuk laughed, leaning over Light's shoulder, "If this guy is really L like he says, then consider me impressed."

'_Indeed,_' Light thought in concurrence, staring forward as well. '_If this guy really __**is**__ L-- __**No**__, even if he's __**not**__ L, I... I can't __**do**__ anything to him._'

As Light panicked in his mind and Ryuuzaki pondered the current situation, Musiko ignored the two girls beside her who were arguing over which of the two - Ryuuga or Light - was hotter once again. She could feel the unseen and unfelt tension between Kira and L, both the hunter and the hunted. If she wasn't so sure she could win Kira's favor, she would be sweating the minutes between that moment and meeting him face-to-face.

Light continued his inner dialogue, staring forward with a calm demeanor, '_If what he's saying is true, it probably means he's already shown his face to my father... What now? If he were to die right after telling me who he was, it would only __**confirm**__ their suspicions. Although it's __**obvious**__ Hideki Ryuuga is nothing more than an __**absurd**__ alias, it still complicates things._'

'_**Even**__ if I get lucky and it __**isn't**__ an alias, if I try to kill him by simply writing his name in the Death Note, I might accidentally picture the face of Ryuuga, the pop star, and end up killing __**him**__ instead,_' Light reasoned, looking to L from the corner of his eye. '_And if this guy doesn't die, he'll know for a __**fact**__ that I am Kira._'

'_Is he __**really**__ L? Does he already suspect that I'm Kira?_' he asked himself, hands clenching as they rested to his legs. '_It's hard to say how much he knows, but... I __**must**__ be under suspicion... What other reason could he have for telling Soichiro Yagami's son that he's L? Does this mean that he's still suspicious of the people that Ray Penber was investigating before he died?_'

'_Even so, I still don't see why he would reveal himself to me directly,_' he thought, closing his eyes and concentrating on calming his wildly running thoughts. '_I __**can't**__ let him see any signs of distress... It's better if I just clear my mind._'

* * *

Leaving the building with Light, Ryuk laughed lightly, saying, "I didn't think the ceremony would be so _interesting_."

After a few more steps, Light heard Ryuuga's voice.

"Hey, Light," the raven-haired man said.

Ryuk looked over to where the voice had come from, asking, "Ya hear that? _I_ think it's your new friend."

Light looked over to Ryuuga, noticing someone standing behind him.

"Hello, Mr. Yagami," Musiko said with a soft smile. "I'm Musiko Hanabi, Mr. Hideki's assistant. It's a pleasure to meet you."

She then extended her hand, Light shaking it firmly before releasing it.

"Please, call me Light," he offered with a forced smile.

"Uh, nice meeting you," Ryuuga finally said, hunched over as usual with his hands tucked in his pockets.

"No, the pleasure was mine," replied Light, watching as the two began to walk away.

Ryuk chuckled to himself, having noticed Kuro standing behind Musiko.

'_So __**she's**__ the other Kira,_' he thought, quite amused.

As he was asked, Ryuk kept that information to himself.

"Well... I'm sure we'll see you on campus," said Ryuuga by way of goodbye.

"Yeah," Light answered, almost at a loss for words. "Take care."

Ryuuga and Musiko then got into a car, Watari closing L's door before returning to the driver's seat.

* * *

"What do you think of him?" Lawliet asked Nyoko as they rode back to the hotel.

She smirked to herself, fiddling with her phone as she replied, "I had little contact with him, but certain physical clues have made him look suspicious... Plus, his eyes are very readable and expressive. He never stops thinking; I know that much."

"And do you think that he is Kira?" the detective questioned, studying her face.

"Based on meeting him in person, _no_," she replied, Lawliet frowning slightly as he looked away. "Based on intuition and the footage from the hidden cameras, yes. He fits most, if not _all_, of the requirements in my analysis of Kira's persona."

The young man smiled slightly at this, asking, "And what do you suggest?"

"Let me get close to him," Nyoko replied in an almost demanding tone. "Let's let him think that I am on his side whether he is innocent or _not_ of being Kira. He will come to trust me, if I play my cards right."

She then closed her phone with one hand, slipping it back into her purse as she smirked.

"In fact, why don't I get _irrevocably_ close?" she asked, the idea coming to her like a tidal wave.

"How do you suggest?" Lawliet inquired, eyes studying her closely once more.

For some reason, he didn't like the tone of her voice or the smirk on her lips, both of which suggested that her idea was something he'd rather not have her do.

"How _else_?" she asked, returning Lawliet's gaze. "I'll get him to fall madly in love with me _or_, if I can't get _that_ close, I'll at least have him believe _I'm_ madly in love with _him_."

Nyoko looked away, turning her sights onto the world outside the window.

"It'll be a chance for me to brush up on the finer points of flirting," she mused, smiling to herself.

"What you're suggesting is highly dangerous, Nyoko," Lawliet warned her, worried that she was now in even deeper than he had already accepted her to be.

What he didn't understand, however, was why he cared so much about the method she'd decided to use.

'_Seeing Kira with her will be... unpleasant,_' he thought, frowning to himself. '_However, I find it strange that thinking of someone __**else**__ with Kira doesn't evoke the same percentage of emotion..._'

"_Everything_ is highly dangerous where Kira is concerned, Lawliet," she reminded him sternly, looking over to the detective. "I've already decided to risk my life and as long as I'm risking it, why not give my all? I'm in this one hundred ten percent, L Lawliet; are _you_?"

"Very well," he conceded, nibbling on his thumb.

'_But I don't have to __**like**__ it,_' the detective thought childishly, holding his knees closer to him.


	10. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than the Joker likes smiles. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter turned out pretty long. _Finally_, huh?

As a note, to support the background I have for L and Nyoko, I removed the "five years" piece L says about when he lived in England. I did so because I'm not sure if it coincides with my background for them. I can't figure it out 'cause it involves math and my brain honestly doesn't comprehend numbers correctly, as a psychologist has told me. Sorry. I'll just have to invoke the right of AU-ness here.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Nine - Jack of Hearts (Jealousy)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- The human who touches the Death Note can recognize the image and voice of its original owner, a god of death, even if the human is not the owner of the note._

* * *

"I have to admit, I was _surprised_, Ryuuga," Light Yagami said as he and 'Hideki Ryuuga' stood on the tennis court, getting ready to play a match. "I never thought you'd ask me to play _tennis_ as a way to get to know each other."

Musiko sat on the bench near Light's duffel bag, watching the two. She was once again wearing her black sneakers and a pair of black jeans with a chain going from a front pocket to a back pocket. This time, however, she wore a black, long-sleeved shirt under a white, short-sleeved shirt with print on the front. In bold letters at the top, it read in capitals: "I'm not short." Below that, in normal font and capitals, it read: "I'm built low to the ground for speed and accuracy."

Although five five was normal for a woman, Musiko usually worked with men who were taller than her, thus her choice of shirt, the negotiator watching Light carefully. She _did_ feel rather short between L and Light's five ten height.

"Is it a problem for you?" Ryuuga asked, staring back at Light.

"Not at all," assured Light, the two heading toward their court and leaving Musiko behind, "but when you first invited me to play, did you know how _good_ I was?"

Ryuuga replied with little emotion, "Yes. I'll be fine, though. It's been a while, but at one time, I was actually the British junior champion."

'_If I ask him if he's British, would he think I'm trying to find out more about him because I'm Kira?_' Light wondered. '_Oh, well. Can't hurt to try._'

"Ryuuga, were you _raised_ in the UK?" he asked, looking over to Ryuuga.

"I lived in England for a time when I was younger, but save your breath," the raven-haired man replied. "Nothing in _that_ story would reveal L's true identity; I promise you."

'_Oh, is that so?_' thought Light derisively.

* * *

Meanwhile, Musiko muttered to herself, "Why did L drag me out here again? I seem to recall saying '_no_' rather adamantly."

Kuro, who stood behind her, chuckled and answered, "L promised to have some of those _hot fries_ you have an addiction to imported from America if you would analyze the one he calls Light."

"Oh, right," she mumbled, leaning back against the bench. "I _knew_ there was a good reason."

* * *

"Well, since it's our first match," Ryuuga said to Light, "why don't we just play a single set? First one to... _six_?"

"That's fine by me," Light agreed easily.

Ryuuga bounced the tennis ball up and down as he thought, '_This is just a __**friendly**__ game of tennis - nothing more. In and of itself, it won't determine if Light is Kira, but I know Kira __**hates**__ to lose._'

Tossing the tennis ball into the air, he struck it hard, the ball whirling forward. It hit Light's side of the court before zooming past him, Ryuk dodging the ball as it hit the wire fence behind them.

"Fifteen love," Ryuuga called it.

Light stood from his stance, "Whoa, _Ryuuga_, you sure don't mess around."

"He who strikes first wins," replied Ryuuga, glancing over toward where Musiko had been left to watch them.

There was a small crowd of people surrounding her.

"It seems Miss Hanabi has been discovered," he announced, Light following his gaze.

"_Discovered_?" Light echoed in question.

Ryuuga looked to him, answering, "Musiko was once a somewhat famous teen idol singer. It appears that some people still remember her previous career..."

* * *

Musiko climbed to a stand on her bench, "I'm not doing autographs! I'm trying to watch a tennis match like a _normal_, _non-famous_ human being! ...Go away!"

She then proceeded to make shooing motions at the crowd.

One of the girls around her asked, "Will you ever make a new album, Musiko?"

"Aren't two albums full of stupid love songs _enough_?" Musiko asked with annoyance, hands to her hips. "The subject of all of my songs is no longer a point of inspiration."

"Who was your inspiration?" another woman in the crowd inquired with interest.

The ex-teen idol frowned down at her, saying, "I don't want to get him involved in these types of encounters... _Now_, if you would all stand near me and out of my way so I can watch Ryuuga and Light's tennis match, I'll answer questions and give autographs after their game."

Obediently, the women moved away so she could see, Musiko sitting back down to see Light and Ryuuga begin their match.

* * *

Ryuuga and Light's match was well on its way, the two furiously hitting the tennis ball back and forth as crowds gathered to watch. Musiko still sat on her bench, guarding Light's bag dutifully, while her small gathering of fans watched the match with her.

'_Will Lawliet let Kira win... or will he make sure to win __**himself**__?_' pondered the negotiator, fingers playing with her bottom lip. '_He knows Kira hates to lose, __**but**__... Well, the outcome should be interesting._'

* * *

Hitting the ball back to Light, Ryuuga thought, '_**Relax**__, Light. While it's true that Kira __**hates**__ losing, it's also true that most people would rather win than lose; it's human nature._'

'_Is he going to think that I'm Kira if I go for the win?_' Light wondered after hitting the ball back to Ryuuga. '_I suppose I __**could**__ just lose on purpose, but if I do, it __**could**__ work against me. Since he'd expect Kira to want to win, he might also expect me to throw the match to avoid suspicion._ '

'_I don't see any way that he can profile me based on a tennis match, __**so**__... I have to assume he has some __**other**__ goal in mind,_' he reasoned. '_Either way, I'm not going to let him win._'

With that thought issued, the brunette struck the ball as hard as possible, Ryuuga running for it on his side, but missing.

Ryuuga breathed heavily, turning his sights on Light, '_Look at that. He's going for the win._'

"That's four games all," the newly acquired umpire called. "Light Yagami to serve."

Ryuk chuckled, "And just like that, we've got an umpire and a line judge..."

* * *

One of Musiko's fans turned to her, asking, "Who do you want to win, Musiko?"

Musiko smiled a little, "Well, I'm friends with _Ryuuga_, so I suppose I have to side with _him_. _However_, I don't think he's going to win."

"_Oh_? Why _not_?" another questioned.

"Because this is more than a tennis match, yet merely a tennis match," Musiko replied, smirking to herself. "They're not just playing tennis; they're _testing_ each other."

"Testing each other?" the woman echoed curiously.

"They both scored perfectly on the entrance exams; that fact _alone_ makes them natural rivals," the negotiator explained to her.

'_**Plus**__, there's the fact that Ryuuga is the famous detective __**L**__ and Light is the infamous killer __**Kira**__,_' she thought to herself, holding back a laugh.

* * *

Meanwhile, the game was back in full swing, Ryuuga moving to strike the tennis ball.

'_I can see the wheels turning, Light Yagami,_' he thought. '_I'm already in your head._'

The raven-haired young man then swung, sending the ball back into Light's court.

'_There's no way this tennis match will deepen our friendship,_' Light thought, moving to intercept the ball. '_This is a __**token**__ gesture - an elaborate act we'll go through so we can say we're closer._'

Hitting the ball, he sent it back into Ryuuga's court.

Ryuuga ran to intercept it, thinking, '_Because I wanted to play tennis with you, you'll assume that I'm preparing to take a step closer, laying the groundwork to get to know you better._'

The ball crashed into the net of his racket, charging back toward Light.

'_And then you're going to try and trap me by getting me to say something that only __**Kira**__ would know,_' Light reasoned, running to intercept the ball and sending it back.

'_However, I'm sure you'll tell me you need to know if you can trust me first,_' thought the detective, running to hit the ball. '_And, of course, the only way to __**win**__ your trust will be to share what I know about Kira._'

Ryuuga then sent the ball back toward Light's court.

'_If you want me to discuss Kira with you,_' Light thought to himself, running for the ball, '_it only makes sense that I'd want to ask for proof that you __**are**__ in charge of the investigation and, more importantly, that you are really __**L**__ as you __**say**__ you are._'

The ball whirled back toward Ryuuga after another hard strike by Light, the raven-haired detective thinking, '_So it goes without saying, the first thing you're going to want from me is--_'

The ball headed his way, Light running to intercept it once again and striking it, '_--some kind of confirmation from a third party that you really __**are**__ L..._'

'_Which means--_' Ryuuga carried on their mutual thoughts, striking the ball back to Light.

'_--we'll have to go to task force headquarters,_' the two thought in harmony.

'_In all things, one cannot win with defense alone,_' Light thought, running toward the net to strike the ball. '_To win, you must __**attack**__!_'

Though Ryuuga valiantly lunged forward to intercept the ball, it bounced under him, effectively escaping his tennis racket, the umpire calling out Light's win.

* * *

Musiko smirked at Light's triumph.

"Told you so," she said to the others, all of them surprised before they began clapping for Light.

'_I wonder when those two will realize that they're evenly matched in so many ways, if they haven't figured that out __**already**__,_' she thought. '_I'm sure Lawliet would probably __**die**__ before revealing Light as Kira, though, because Light __**definitely**__ has more working in his favor..._'

'_Having said that, I guess I have to choose sides,_' the negotiator concluded.

* * *

Light and Ryuuga headed over to where Musiko had been left to guard Light's bag, but the crowd of women from earlier were now gathered off to the side. The two men exchanged a glance before Light picked up his bag, both of them heading to the crowd. They looked into the middle to see Musiko posing for a photo in front of one of the women's cell phones.

One hand lightly resting on her shoulder as if in mid-flip of her hair, Musiko smiled and winked. She then moved to pose for another camera, pursing her lips, hand outstretched before her face, making her look as if blowing a kiss. Again, once that picture was done, she moved into another pose, giving the peace sign, winking and sticking out her tongue.

Once all the photos were taken, she heaved a sigh of relief, noticing Ryuuga and Light.

"Oh, hey, guys. Good game," she praised with a smile. "Congratulations on the win, Light."

"Thank you, Musiko," Light replied politely, growing curious about the woman.

He thought she looked more like a _model_ than a previous teen idol singer. Although, as far as models went, she would have been rather _short_ at her staggering height of five five.

"Musiko," a raven-haired woman with dark eyes and glasses said, gaining Musiko's attention.

She had recently walked over and Musiko recognized her as the girl named Kyoko she'd sat next to at the entrance ceremony.

"Is it true that you scored third on the entrance exams?" Kyoko questioned with interest.

"_Yes_, actually," the ex-idol replied.

She smirked, adding, "You look surprised about that, but I guess it _does_ break the stereotype that teen idols are notoriously lacking by way of IQ."

"Well, judging from your bubbly, cheesy lyrics, this is the _last_ place I'd expect you to be," the woman quipped, smirking back.

Musiko shrugged, grinning at Kyoko as she replied, "Then you obviously don't understand the entertainment industry and the fact that my music catered to younger audiences _specifically_."

The brunette, who was usually found with Kyoko, walked over, wearing her tennis outfit.

"Musiko, I'm Ryoko Suzuki," the woman greeted. "How about a tennis match?"

Musiko grinned, asking, "Are you _sure_ you want to play against me?"

"She sure sounds confident," Light muttered to Ryuuga.

Ryuuga didn't reply, knowing Light would get to see exactly why she was confident if Musiko accepted the brunette's challenge. Knowing Musiko, she _would_ accept it, even if only to catch Light's attention.

"I'm sure," Ryoko replied with a confident smile of her own. "The first one to miss wins. Are you up to it?"

"Of course," answered Musiko, holding out a hand expectantly. "Someone fetch me a racket and I'll be set."

* * *

Musiko stood on one side of the court, twirling her racket around; the ball was hers to serve and she was hoping this Ryoko woman would be decent competition. On the bench Musiko had been sitting on earlier, Ryuuga and Light sat, watching the scene as Musiko's fans and Kyoko stood around them, waiting for the match to begin.

Tossing the ball into the air, one leg lifted as she perched on the toes of her other foot, Musiko struck both the pose of a dancer as well as the ball.

"I've never seen a serving pose like _that_ before," one of Musiko's fans said, hands to her cheeks.

Another nodded, watching Musiko carefully, "Isn't she just so _graceful_?"

Ryoko struck the ball back to Musiko, the negotiator swaying to it and hitting it back.

"Are you playing tennis," Ryoko began before striking the ball, "or _dancing_?"

"You'd be surprised how well the two work together, Miss Suzuki," replied Musiko, gracefully striking the ball back.

"_Every_ sport can be played as if in a dance; some are just more," she began, having to strike the ball back before finishing her thought, "apparent than others. Say, _for instance_, soccer and boxing."

"Is that your athletic philosophy?" Ryoko questioned the ex-idol, hitting the ball back with all her strength.

Musiko smiled, striking the ball back with a move based on a pirouette.

"Ballet, jazz, even _tap_ - all of these dances contain moves than can help you athletically," she explained, confident in her philosophy and hitting the ball back to Ryoko's court once more. "Even ballet moves like fouette' turns can be used, but it's best to keep to simple, rhythmic movements when you're a beginner or have little time to move."

"I see," Ryoko replied, slamming the ball back with surprising speed.

Unfazed, Musiko preformed a quick reverse leap, effectively moving her from one side of her court to the other where she struck the ball.

"How did you learn to dance so well?" inquired Ryoko, hitting the ball back to her.

"Because of my previous career as a singer, my manager signed me on to learn lots of dance techniques for my music videos," Musiko replied, moving into another move based on a pirouette to strike the ball back. "I keep in practice as much as possible."

The moment Ryoko's net moved to hit the ball, Musiko preformed an attitude leap by going forward, and met the ball near the net, striking hard. Ryoko ran for the ball, but missed it by a few inches.

Seeing her win, Musiko did a side degage position, then a demi-plie, one arm curved above her head as the other curved over her stomach. After moving out of position, she fell into her usual, relaxed stance and twirled her tennis racket.

"Good game, Miss Suzuki," she complimented politely, but honestly, walking back to where her fans, Ryuuga and Light were waiting.

"Congratulations on the win, Musiko," Light congratulated the negotiator as she neared them, Musiko giving her racket to one of her fans.

Musiko shrugged it off as if it were nothing, replying simply, "Thanks."

* * *

"Just as I expected, you beat me," said Ryuuga as he and Light Yagami walked side by side, Musiko trailing behind them and talking on her phone quietly.

"It's been a while since I had to play that hard," Light replied honestly.

"Ryuuga," Musiko spoke up, catching their attention. "I'll be leaving now. Something... came up."

Ryuuga narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering who had called her.

"I see," he replied.

Light turned to face Musiko as she put away her cell phone.

"It was nice seeing you again, Musiko," he said, smiling, both the detective and negotiator noticing his smile to her was now genuine.

"Likewise, Light," she replied with a smile in return, bowing her head slightly before turning and heading in the other direction.

The two then turned and continued walking, Light asking, "How long have you known Miss Hanabi?"

Ryuuga looked ahead, thinking to himself, '_He's already forming an __**interest**__ in her... But she hasn't actually attempted to befriend him... Interesting..._'

He quickly answered, "I met her in England where we grew up together for a time. I re-established contact about... three or four years ago."

"I see," Light replied as he looked forward, retreating into his own thoughts.

'_The way she moves is graceful... And her tennis match was like a dance... Her name sounds vaguely __**familiar**__, though._'

"Why do you ask?" the detective finally inquired.

Light looked to him, smiling a little, obviously finding Ryuuga a little strange for having to ask.

"Isn't it _normal_ for me to be asking about a beautiful woman?" the brunette asked, chuckling.

"Hm... I suppose so," Ryuuga conceded easily, hands digging deeper into his pockets.

"Hey. I'm kinda thirsty... Plus, there's something I wanted to ask you about," Light changed the subject. "You wanna go somewhere for a drink?"

Ryuuga answered, looking over to Light, "You humored me with a tennis match; the least I can do is answer some of your questions... But, before this conversation goes any further, there's something I must tell you."

"And what's that?" the younger man asked.

Ryuuga peered into his eyes as he answered, "I suspect that _you_, Light Yagami, are, in fact, Kira."

He let the thought sink in a moment before continuing, "_Now_, if you still want to ask me something, then please go ahead."

Light stopped walking, Ryuuga stopping a few feet ahead and turning around to look at the younger man.

Laughing out of surprise which Ryuuga was sure had been feigned, Light replied to his accusation, "You think _I'm_ Kira?"

"Well, when I say I suspect you, it's only a one percent possibility," Ryuuga asserted. "That aside, I don't mind telling you that once I'm sure you _aren't_ Kira and I can verify that your deductive skills are as strong as I _think_ they are, I'd like nothing more than to have you work with me on this investigation."

With that said, he turned and continued walking.

Moments later, Light continued walking as well, thinking, '_**One percent**__, huh? That was well worded because no matter how little he says he suspects me, it means he has grounds to prevent me from meeting anyone on the task force... Quite the preemptive move on his part. He got me._'

* * *

After hailing a taxi, Musiko got in the back and gave the driver directions before slipping her phone out of her purse. She dialed in a number and waited for an answer.

In a hidden location in England, Near sat in a swivel chair, knees up to his chest, in front of a desk, one finger twirling a strand of his snow white hair as he stared at his phone, waiting for a call. When it suddenly came on and his ring tone for Nyoko Kurogawa - "Ryoujoku No Ame" by Dir En Grey - began to play, he picked it up, flipping it open.

"Where are you?" he asked immediately.

"I'm in a taxi at the moment," came Muskio's reply. "What is it you need?"

"I want information on the Kira investigation," answered Near, his finger twirling his strand of hair once more.

"You want me to leak information to you without telling Ryuuzaki?" her voice asked. "At least tell me why you want to know about this case."

"I suspect L has already asked you to help his successor," he speculated, Musiko unsurprised by his uncanny accuracy. "I also suspect that L will _die_ in this investigation and because of his focus on this case, he will likely never choose a successor. Because of this, I want to be updated on the situation as often as possible as not to waste time catching up later."

"I understand," she returned, ignoring his rather hurtful assumption that L would die as she couldn't rightfully speak against it, the negotiator knowing it was likely to happen. "But what I _don't_ understand is why you didn't _email_ me about this rather than discussing it over the phone. I was actually with L and Light Yagami, our Kira suspect, when you called."

His twirling finger paused momentarily, Near smiling slightly to himself before it continued its motions.

"I hadn't heard your voice in over a month," he informed her. "I was checking to see if you were really still alive."

"Uh-huh, sure," Musiko replied, Near certain she'd rolled her eyes and brushed back her hair.

She then teased him in a baby talk voice, "Little Near just wanted to hear Musiko's voice, didn't he? _Awww_."

Laughing lightly, she spoke normally, "You know, you can always call just to say 'hello' sometimes."

Near's finger pulled at the strand of hair as he replied hesitantly, "I suppose... I could do that."

"Well, _god_, don't make it sound like it'd _kill_ you," Musiko retorted, but laughed, assuring him she was in no way mad.

"It might," he replied in a serious tone, Musiko chuckling.

"Later, Near," she said before the line went dead.

Near closed his phone, setting it on the desk before him.

'_But knowing you, you'll stop at nothing to protect L... You still __**love him**__, don't you?_' he thought with a melancholy frown. '_Even after he left you, you still want him to be the one who loves you... Nyoko._'

* * *

_Near watched from a window on a rainy day as L left behind the girl he claimed to love. He knew L would promise her he'd come back, but Near doubted he would. Why would he when he became the famous detective bred to solve dangerous cases around the world? Near reasoned that L would either forget her or stay away from her to protect her from his work._

_After L was gone, Near went down to the front door, walking out into the pouring rain toward Musiko, who had fallen onto her knees, crying. Lifting his jacket over his head, he kneeled down beside her, one arm dragging her up as gently as she would allow. Once she stood, head under his jacket, he turned them both toward the door to the orphanage, leading her inside._

_Since then, Near stayed with her as often as possible, having to force her out of bed on most days because she'd become deeply depressed. It took all his strength not to get annoyed when she wouldn't eat or move from one spot, but he remained patient, slowly helping her recover._

_He didn't know why love was such a good thing if it left a normally happy girl like Musiko completely depressed and even suicidal, but he knew that he hated seeing her upset. He also knew that she never blamed L for leaving her, but Near believed it to completely be L's fault once the older boy never fulfilled his promise of visiting her._

_Left to put the pieces of Nyoko's puzzle back together, Near realized that he normally would have turned a cold shoulder on someone suffering in such a pathetic manner; yet, with Musiko, Near saw an innocent girl completely shatter and he wanted nothing more than to help her._

_After those days, once she was reasonably well again, she and Near spent most of their time together. While he would work incessantly on the same puzzle, she would sit nearby and read or play with the toys he would give her. He didn't exactly know why he gave her those things, but he reasoned with himself that seeing her smile instead of looking depressed was an improvement._

_Her only other friend, Mello, became distant once she seemed to prefer Near's company, but Near didn't mind the fact. Near believed Mello was too emotional to take care of her anyway, so he kept them separated as much as possible._

_When she started talking to other people again, however, he separated her from them as well, reasoning that anyone else would hurt her, though the fact of the matter was that he was jealous. Obediently, she strayed from talking with anyone else, Near satisfied with the thought that no one would hurt her again like L did._

_Somewhere along the way, he had fallen in love with her._

* * *

"This coffee shop is one of my _favorites_ in the area and if we sit here, there's no chance of anyone overhearing us," Light explained to the older man, he and Ryuuga sitting in booths facing one another before a table, plants surrounding their seats.

"Thanks for showing me this place," Ryuuga replied. "I can see why you like it."

Light smiled at him, chuckling as he spoke, "Not to mention, we're so out of the way here, no one's gonna give you a hard time about the way you sit."

The raven-haired detective spoke around his thumb, "I don't sit like this because I _want_ to; I _have_ to sit like this. You see, if I were to sit normally, my deductive skills would _immediately_ be reduced by roughly forty percent."

Light pondered on his statement, thinking, '_Why does the way he __**sits**__ determine the percentage of his deductive skills? He certainly is... __**eccentric**__._'

"So, what was it you wanted to ask me?" Ryuuga inquired, breaking Light from his thoughts.

"_Right_. I'm sure that can wait until you're convinced that I'm not Kira, so, please, let's talk about whatever you want to," replied the brunette, taking a sip of his tea.

"You're under no obligation to do this, but... would you mind submitting yourself to a test of your deductive reasoning skills?" Ryuuga questioned his suspect.

Before him sat a cup of tea with four creams stacked one on the other beside it, though it seemed not to be enough for the raven-haired detective.

"Sure," Light allowed. "Why not? Sounds like fun."

"Alright, then," Ryuuga said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling something out. "We can _begin_ by taking a look at these."

He then set three photographs on the table, explaining, "Photographs of three notes written by prison inmates while under Kira's control just prior to their deaths; none of this information has been made public."

Light leaned forward, taking the photographs for a closer look.

"You can take as long as you want to look them over," said Ryuuga as he watched Light carefully. "Please let me know what you think."

Light looked over the all too familiar notes, replying, "Very interesting."

'_**Come on**__; this is __**child's play**__,_' he thought, pretending to study the photos. '_There's a print number on the back of each of these photographs... If I ignore this fact and was __**still**__ able to come up with the phrase 'L do you know gods of death love apples', what would that mean? __**Clearly**__, if I read it the way Kira intended on my __**first**__ attempt, I'd only look more suspicious. But the fact that I'm able to solve this silly __**code**__ on its own isn't enough to prove that I'm Kira._'

"It would be quite amazing to learn that not only could Kira _kill_ others, but could also _control_ his victim's actions," Light mentioned, moving the photos into one hand and looking up at Ryuuga. "I think Kira wrote these and it seems he's encoded a message for _you_ as well - almost as if he's mocking you."

He then set the photographs back down on the table, saying, "If you line these notes up side by side and take a look at the _first_ letter of every line, it reveals a message."

Moving the photographs, he explained, "Rearranging it like _this_ gives you 'L do you know gods of death love apples'. _But_ there are obvious print numbers on the back of all these photographs. Arrange it in _that_ order and we get 'L do you know love apples gods of death'."

Chuckling lightly, he concluded, "That doesn't sound right. And based on that, it's hard to believe that Kira would have wanted you to read it this way."

"That's incorrect," Ryuuga replied.

"Huh?"

Pulling out another photograph from his back pocket, the detective explained, "The thing is, there were actually _four_ photographs."

He then laid it down with the others, saying, "When we add _this_ one, it reads 'L do you know gods of death who love apples have red hands'."

'_It's a fake!_' Light thought, staring at the fake photograph. '_I never made any criminal write the letter in this fourth picture... Is he __**stupid**__?_'

"But seeing as I only had three photographs to work with, my deduction was _perfect_," the younger man protested, looking back at Ryuuga.

"No, it wasn't," Ryuuga corrected. "The truth is, there _were_ four of them. If you'd figured _that_ out, it _would_ have been perfect... Even though you _knew_ the message was incomplete, you decided that there were only three notes. You never even _considered_ that there might be a fourth... What do you make of that?"

'_Damn him!_' Light cursed him in his thoughts, seething at another of the detective's tricks. '_This wasn't just about gauging my deductive reasoning skills; he wanted to see what my reaction would be. If I __**keep**__ falling for his tricks, I'll be playing right into his hands._'

"Hm... Well, you got me there; I didn't _think_ of that," he made his confession, hands in his pockets.

"In any case, the likelihood this message will lead you to Kira is _not_ very great," Light reasoned, reaching out to take his cup by the handle. "Besides, we _all_ know gods of death don't exist."

He then took a drink of his tea, wondering what Ryuuga would say next.

"If you were _me_, faced with someone who might be Kira, how would you go about establishing this person's innocence or guilt?" the raven-haired detective inquired before stressing a point. "You'd need to be _absolutely_ sure."

"I would probably try to get him to say something that was never made _public_ in any way - something that only Kira could know," Light answered without hesitation. "_Kinda_ like what you were doing just now."

"Truly amazing," marveled Ryuuga, staring back at the younger man with his onyx eyes. "What's incredible is that I've asked _countless_ detectives that same question and it took most of them minutes to even come up with an answer. But _you_ - you _immediately_ thought of a scenario in which Kira is speaking directly to the investigator."

"I'm impressed," Ryuuga praised. "You'll make a _fine_ detective, Light."

Light laughed lightly, pointing out, "But... it's a bit of a double-edged sword. The _more_ impressive my answers, the more of a suspect I become."

"Yes," Ryuuga agreed as Light took a sip of his tea. "It's about _three_ percent now... _However_, it's made me that much more determined to work with you on this investigation... You see, I'm in a position where even if you _are_ Kira, it would still be to my benefit to have you working alongside us."

"You know why I say that?" the raven-haired detective questioned the younger man, his black eyes staring back at Light unnervingly.

"If I cooperate with you, there's a chance I can help the investigation to move forward," the brunette high school student answered.

"And if I'm Kira, I might reveal myself," he added, setting down his cup. "In other words, whether I'm Kira or not, you stand to gain either way... It's a very smart move on your part."

"But I think you might be getting the wrong idea," he amended quickly. "It's _true_ that I do have an interest in the Kira case, and, yes, detective work is a hobby of mine... but _I_ know that I'm _not_ Kira and I certainly don't want to be _killed_ by him."

"_Besides_," he said, staring back at the detective, "what proof have you been able to give me that you _yourself_ aren't Kira? I mean, it hardly seems fair for just _one_ of us to be investigated, wouldn't you say?"

"At this point, neither of us can prove that we're not Kira," Light went on to say in his lengthy speech, his arms crossed. "However, if you _are_, in fact, L, I don't imagine it would be _that_ hard for you to prove it to me. I think I'd be convinced if, say, my father or... someone else from the task force headquarters was able to _confirm_ your identity."

"If you can't do _that_, then I'm afraid I just won't be able to help you," Light concluded at last.

'_You sure __**talk**__ a lot, don't you, Light? Even more than __**Nyoko**__,_' thought the young detective, slightly amused by that fact. '_Typical for someone who __**hates**__ losing... Make that __**seven**__ percent. Could it really be him?_'

"I don't remember saying you couldn't meet anyone from task force headquarters to verify my identity," Ryuuga retorted to Light's speech. "I'm currently working alongside your father as well as several _other_ senior detectives from the NPA... Now, if I understand you correctly and I take you to _task force headquarters_, you'll help us with the investigation."

"Am I _safe_ in making this assumption?" the detective inquired.

'_Does this guy have a __**death wish**__?_' Light thought, slightly confused. '_I don't understand. What's he __**thinking**__?_'

A phone ringing brought Light out of his thoughts, Ryuuga reaching into his back pocket which seemed to be the location of his hammerspace.

"Excuse me," the detective said to Light.

Suddenly, Light's phone began to ring.

"Oh, there goes mine," he commented, moving for it.

"Yes?" Ryuuga asked his caller.

"Ryuuzaki, I have some bad news," Watari's voice said on the other end of Ryuuga's line.

"Light," Light's mother said on the other end of Light's line, sounding very distressed, "your father has--"

"Light, it's your--" L began, though Light looked up, eyes wide.

"My father," Light said, shocked. "He had a _heart attack_."

* * *

"So the doctors think stress was the _only_ cause?" Light inquired of his father, sitting in a chair beside Soichiro's hospital bed.

Ryuuga sat to his right, Musiko, who had been summoned by Ryuuga, standing near the detective.

"Yeah," Soichiro replied wearily. "To be honest, I thought it was Kira when I first collapsed, but I'll be alright. It seems I've been pushing myself a bit too hard lately."

"Indeed," agreed the young detective. "It must've added to your stress knowing that Light is a suspect in this investigation."

"You actually _told_ my father that?" Light asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Ryuuga replied. "In fact, I've told him _everything_... It's _true_; he even knows that I am L."

"That's correct," Soichiro confirmed the young man's words, looking to his son. "This man is L. To protect his identity, we on the task force refer to him as Ryuuzaki, but make no mistake, it's him."

'_This guy __**is**__ the real L,_' thought Light silently. '_My father wouldn't lie. The very same man who's been controlling the police up to this point; if I get rid of him and the __**rest**__ of the investigative team... No. No, let's face it; it wouldn't be that simple. There's no need to rush. I have time to sit back and watch. But for __**now**__, I'm the Light Yagami who's worried for his father._'

While Light had an inner moment of surprise, Musiko's phone went off, the ringtone a siren.

"Oh, shit. It's Yuki. Gotta take it," Musiko muttered, the others looking to her as she answered her phone.

"Talk to me," she demanded of her caller, listening intently.

"What? He wants _what_?" the negotiator asked, a hand to her forehead. "You expect me to negotiate with impossible demands?"

Sighing, she gripped the phone tightly.

"What does she look like? I can cut my hair - restyle it - whatever. I'll look like her, go in, play off his signals, plea for the hostages' release, then kick the fucker's ass."

Light's eyes widened at her language, his father groaning.

"She was _flat-chested_?" Musiko asked with annoyance seeping into her tone with every quickly spoken word. "Well, I don't think I have enough time to get a _breast reduction_, Yuki, so get with the program!"

Angrily, she stormed off, leaving the room.

* * *

In the hall, Musiko continued her conversation, pacing back and forth as she concluded, "I'll take the job, but you have to drive down here and pick me up since I took a taxi."

After giving Yuki her location, she hung up, sticking her phone in her pocket and heading back into Mr. Yagami's hospital room.

"Sorry about that," she apologized, bowing slightly.

"What happened?" asked the young, raven-haired detective, looking up at her as he chewed his thumb.

"Some nutcase has six hostages and is demanding both a helicopter and his _dead girlfriend_ whom he killed, though in Mr. Imamura Land, she's still alive and well," Musiko informed them, one hand on her hip and the other to her head as it shook in disbelief.

"What do you intend to do?" L questioned the aggravated negotiator, watching her closely.

"Well, either I go in there with cropped hair and brown contacts, pretending to be his girlfriend with a _boob job_," she began sarcastically, weighing the option with one hand, "or I go in there alone with no police backup on the block and without a gun to... to, to, to..."

Her hand waved around as she thought, Musiko suddenly getting an idea, "To tell him his girlfriend is two doors down, playing it safe, and thinks that if he has to take hostages, he should only take _one_... Five leave, I'm left with Mr. Imamura and his evil henchmen, so I sweetly suggest he go down two doors to reunite with ol' flat-chested what's-her-face while his lackeys guard me and the remaining hostage..."

Pinching the bridge of her nose, she thought hard about the next move.

"...Then I attack and probably get shot in the face," concluded the negotiator, her shoulders slumping and hand falling in defeat.

"Well, it was a good plan up until the last part," Light offered lamely, not even sure it really _was_ a good plan.

"No!" she said, suddenly grinning and holding up a finger. "I had a premonition! One of the lackey's was on the floor, out cold, and it looked like my plan worked... I'll stroll over to the sleeping lackey, pretending to check his pulse, pull a kick at the other and battle it out from there!"

"That was a convenient premonition," commented L.

She frowned, brows furrowed as her finger fell slowly.

"Yes. Yes, it was," Musiko agreed. "But the premonitions are never wrong, so... what could _possibly_ go wrong?"

She then gave a winning smile.

"That was a punchline, wasn't it?" asked L, his blank expression saying to her that her comedic attempts were unpleasant.

"Ah... Yeah, it was," she said, hands on her hips. "Whatcha' gonna _do_ about it?"

The detective sighed, "Please quit pretending that you have a TV audience."

"Then you stop chewing on your thumb like an infant," she retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

Light laughed a bit, unsurely.

"Don't you have _lives_ to save, Musiko?" L quipped, slightly annoyed.

"Yes, but I took a taxi here, so Yuki's coming to pick me up," she replied with a triumphant smile. "By the way, I don't know if it's okay to mention in front of the Yagami's, but I'm going to anyway because I don't see why it could hurt; Near called me after the tennis match and he wanted me to keep a secret from you."

"What is it?" L asked, looking up at her.

"He wanted me to leak files to him about your current investigation so that when you _die_, as he so politely speculated, he won't have to play catch up," she replied to the detective. "I didn't tell him I was going to tell you, but I thought it might be slightly _interesting_ if I did. What say you to this?"

"Let him have the files," he replied simply, shrugging slightly.

Musiko frowned, complaining, "Well, that was _completely_ uninterestin-- Heyyy!"

She was cut off by someone pulling her ear from behind, everyone looking to see an agitated little woman.

"I broke the law at ninety miles an hour to come escort you to your job, so you better have a good plan, _Miss Negotiator_!" Yuki, Musiko's boss, barked, jerking the negotiator away.

"Don't pull me by the _ear_, Yuki! _I'm_ not the criminal!" Musiko cried indignantly, being dragged out of the room. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Light laughed, apparently the only one left in the room who wasn't aggravated by Musiko's behavior, though L was smiling slightly, used to her antics.

"She's a very lively woman, isn't she?" Light asked with an amused tone, looking to Ryuuga.

"Yes," L droned, still smiling a little. "She's a very fickle, moody, eccentric, annoying and lovable person, as I'm constantly reminded by those she encounters..."

Light smiled slightly, thinking the woman _did_ seem to embody all of those traits from what little he knew of her.

"You should tell me more about her sometime," the younger Yagami suggested, intrigued by Musiko's outrageous behavior.

"The one thing those who know her need to know is that Musiko is a paradox wrapped in an enigma and encoded in a dead language on the license plate of a bus traveling at one hundred miles per hour," mused the detective at length, still chewing on his thumb. "If you stand in front of her, she'll knock you down, and no one can ever catch the license plate."

"You sound like you're _in love_ with her," commented Light astutely, slightly surprised by L's musings.

L replied without actually answering his inquiry, looking to Light, "You are free to pursue her."

"No!" Soichiro interrupted quickly. "That woman is _highly_ unstable, Light, and you should be wary of her... Take your father's advice on this."

Light laughed, "Dad, how bad could she _be_?"

'_Actually, if I __**think**__ about it, she would be an almost __**perfect**__ candidate to help Kira,_' thought the young brunette. '_I have to find out what she __**truly**__ thinks of Kira... If I can win her to my side, then maybe..._'

"Son, she's the kind of woman that will break your heart and she'll have you believing that it's _your_ fault," Soichiro broke through his son's thoughts, the Superintendent sighing deeply. "She's a hurricane."

"A hurricane, huh?" Light echoed thoughtfully, looking determined.

'_Then all I have to do,_' the younger Yagami began in thought assuredly, '_is stay in the eye of the storm._'


	11. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Kagura Sohma likes Kyo Sohma. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** This chapter has a lot of Nyoko in it and a lot of new stuff. I hope you like what I've added. And, in case you end up wondering after reading it, the scenes with Nyoko doing her job _do_ forward the plot due to a decision she makes after her experience. So it's not just useless filler.

Also, that survey I told you about asked who I'd have voice my main OCs if my fic were an anime.

For Nyoko, I chose Wendee Lee who voiced Faye Valentine on the Cowboy Bebop dub. I would say, for Nyoko, she'd sound like she did on Cowboy Bebop, only softer and a bit more refined. That would be Nyoko's voice.

As for Kuro, I'd choose Crispin Freeman who voiced Togusa on the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex dub. His voice would be like that, only deeper with kind of a gruff edge to it.

As for the newer OC, Yuki Miyamoto, I chose Kirsten Bishop who voiced Zoicite on the Sailor Moon dub. I imagine her voice to be like that, only in a softer manner and not so mean, like Zoicite is.

Of course, if you want to imagine them a different way, go ahead. It's always best when left up to the reader on how to imagine those kinds of things. I just thought you might like to know my choices.

Just so you know, NIES stands for National Institute for Environmental Studies which is in Japan. (It's mentioned in this chapter.)

My explanation: Musiko loves meat and hates tree-huggers.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Ten - Four of Clubs (Responsibility)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- The person in possession of the Death Note is possessed by a god of death, its original owner, until they die._

* * *

Musiko now stood outside of a warehouse in the light of the moon, hiding behind the rear end of a police car and taking a megaphone from a police officer.

"Kenichi Imamura, I am Musiko," she said into the megaphone. "I'll be your negotiator today."

Standing beside her, Yuki Miyamoto, her good friend and boss, groaned, her hand to her face.

She was a petite woman of five foot one with dainty features, her short brown hair ending just above her shoulders, her bangs ending a couple of inches below her eyes. As far as looks went, she was very cute, a few freckles across her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, resting under emerald green eyes. Yuki was usually mousy, though her temper was vicious, but she seemed to relax somewhat around certain people, Musiko being one of them.

Yuki knew Musiko tended not to take intense situations as seriously as others, but the negotiator's calm, care-free manner during such situations never failed to exasperate the nervous, high-strung Yuki.

From the window of the warehouse, a hostage stood with a gun to his back, answering with what Kenichi Imamura ordered him to say.

"His demands are the same; he wants a helicopter and his girlfriend, Sakura Ogawa, on the roof in five hours!" the frightened man managed to shout from the second story window.

"I see," Musiko muttered before holding up the megaphone and replying. "That's all well and good, except for the part about his girlfriend being _dead_."

Sighing, she decided on the direct approach.

"How can we be sure that the other five hostages have not been harmed, Mr. Imamura?" she asked him as she remained behind one of the many police vehicles surrounding the building. "The only way we can meet your demands is for myself to enter the warehouse to negotiate with you face-to-face."

The hostage jumped a little as a gun pushed into his back.

"He will only let you in if _all_ of the police and their vehicles leave the area," the man gave his captor's instructions, poked by the gun at his back once more. "Also, you must be unarmed."

"Yeah, that's what I _thought_ he'd say," muttered the negotiator, looking over to the petite woman beside her. "Why am I on this, Yuki? I normally handle the more _intelligent_ criminals."

"Sorry, kiddo, but no other negotiator would handle this emotional time bomb," the thirty-one year old Yuki replied, patting her friend's shoulder sympathetically.

Musiko smirked, "So now that I'm taking less cases, I get the unwanted jobs..."

Suddenly, her phone went off, playing her ring tone for Near - Lost Angel by Day After Tomorrow - and she pulled it out of her pocket, answering.

"Near, this is a _really_ bad time," she complained to her white-haired caller, almost laughing at how horrible his timing really was.

"I see," Near replied in his ever calm tone. "What have I caught you during _this_ time?"

"I'm negotiating with a very _unstable_ man who wants a helicopter and his _dead girlfriend_, whom he murdered _himself_, on the roof in five hours," she explained the sordid affair, sighing dramatically. "Now, what is it you were calling about?"

* * *

Near's finger immediately stopped twirling around his strand of hair once Musiko explained her circumstances. He hadn't quite expected her to be in such a problematic situation and, from the tone of her voice and her choice of words, Musiko hadn't expected to be either.

"I was calling to make sure you were alright," he offered, almost flatly by the slightly lowered tone of his voice. "As I understand it, you aren't."

"That would be a correct assessment," Musiko's alto voice replied, sighing deeply. "I wish you hadn't caught me at a bad time and I _really_ have to go now."

"I understand," returned the white-haired man as his finger began twirling once more. "Call me immediately after the situation is under control."

"Got it; I'll do that," Musiko answered Near. "Later."

* * *

Turning off her phone, Musiko put it away and took the megaphone from Yuki.

"Forgive me for the slight delay, Mr. Imamura," she apologized almost professionally, thinking quickly. "I'll have the all the police and their vehicles leave--"

"What are you _doing_?!" Yuki whispered as loudly as possible. "You can't go in there with no back-up!"

"--and I will then come to the door, unarmed and carrying my cell phone in my right pocket," concluded the negotiator, ignoring Yuki's protests.

"Is this agreeable to _you_, Mr. Imamura?" she inquired, shoving Yuki away from grabbing the megaphone.

The hostage replied, "He agrees!"

"Good," Musiko muttered, facing Yuki. "Get these police officers and all the vehicles out of here. There's only _one_ way to deal with someone that's unstable."

"And how is that?" Yuki asked, half afraid to know the answer, her hair billowing in the wind as her green eyes bore holes into Musiko's gaze.

Musiko stared back just as deeply, answering, "By being just as unstable."

Yuki's jaw opened and closed repeatedly, but she found nothing to retort with, Musiko laughing at her floundering facial expression.

"Get these guys and cars out of here," the negotiator ordered before smiling confidently. "Hide the cars and stay two doors down to the left. Kenichi Imamura will come to _you_."

* * *

"So, Ryuuzaki... Now that you've had the chance to talk to my son, is he cleared as a suspect?" the Chief inquired of the detective with a hopeful countenance.

"When I say I _suspect_ him, you should know it's very minor," asserted the young detective. "We've gone over this, but I'll explain it again..."

"Not long ago, Kira killed _twelve_ FBI agents who'd come to Japan to assist us," he went over the information, looking over to Light. "They were instructed to follow people connected to the Japanese police. One of these agents, Raye Penber, exhibited unusual behavior before he died."

"I understand, and I was one of the people Raye Penber was investigating before he died," Light said, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his seat. "It only makes _sense_ that I'd be a suspect."

Looking to L, he amended his statement, "No, to be more precise, there's no one else you _could_ suspect."

"I find Light's deductive powers quite impressive," L commented, watching the younger man. "He's always quick and to-the-point."

"Ryuuga... I'd like to help with the investigation," Light finally admitted, keeping his gaze locked with L. "My father has erased any doubts I might have had regarding your _true_ identity... Also, I'd like nothing more than to _catch_ Kira so I can prove once and for all that I'm _not_ him."

Soichiro interjected weakly, "No, Light. This is a time in your life when you should be studying to become a police officer. It won't be too late to join us once you are done."

Sitting upright, Light replied, "Come on, Dad; what are you _talking_ about? Who knows how many years that'll take... _Besides_, don't you remember our promise... that if something ever happened to you, I would _find_ Kira and make sure he gets executed?"

'_I refuse to believe that my son could turn out to be Kira,_' Soichiro thought after hearing his son's words.

Meanwhile, L had his own thoughts about Light Yagami.

'_This doesn't __**seem**__ like an act to me,_' he thought, watching Light closely. '_Or, if it __**is**__, it's too cheesy._'

"Light, listen to me," said the Chief, Light looking up at him, intently listening. "Kira is pure evil. We can _all_ agree on that. But recently I've started thinking of this whole situation in a different way. What is _truly_ evil is the power to kill people and any person who has come to possess this kind of power is _cursed_."

"No matter how you use it," Soichiro assured his song, "no _true_ happiness can be obtained like that; not by killing other people."

"I think you're absolutely right," L concurred with the Superintendent's statements. "If Kira _is_ just a normal person who somehow _obtained_ this awful power, I would say that he's cursed..."

"Ryuuzaki," the Chief said with a sigh, "I'm sorry for all this trouble, but I'll be back at work as _soon_ as the doctors let me out of here."

A nurse then entered the room, looking at Light and Ryuuga.

"Excuse me. Visiting hours are over _ten_ minutes ago," the woman stressed.

* * *

Outside, in the dark of the night, L and Light walked out of the hospital, L heading to the car waiting for him.

"Ryuuga," Light said, catching the detective's attention, "what would it take to get you to believe that I'm _not_ Kira? ..._Please_; isn't there _something_?"

"If you aren't Kira, it won't be necessary; let things run their course and the truth will be revealed," L answered reassuringly.

"I can't _take_ this anymore!" the younger man argued. "Put yourself in _my_ position! How do you think it _feels_ to be _accused_ of being Kira?"

L looked away, thinking that notion over; he recalled _clearly_ the earlier accusation made by the brunette that he could have been Kira as far as Light knew.

His gaze returned to Light, "It was one of the _worst_ feelings ever."

"What if you were to lock me up for a month in a place with _no_ TV or any other kind of access to the outside world and keep a _constant_ watch over me?" Light suggested, seemingly desperate to be cleared as a suspect.

'_Would any __**normal**__ person be willing to go to such extreme measures to clear their name?_' pondered the detective.

"That's no good," L answered the brunette. "I can't do anything that would _deprive_ you of basic human rights. And _furthermore_, it's complete _nonsense_ for the investigator to take suggestions from his _suspect_."

"I understand," Light said in feigned defeat as L got into his car, Watari closing his door behind him.

"Don't _worry_ so much. Be patient; it'll become apparent to us if you're not Kira," the raven-haired detective advised his suspect as he looked out his window. "And listening to that conversation between you and your father, I was _almost_ convinced you might not be him."

"Light, please take _good_ care of Mr. Yagami," L added his request, sitting back in his seat.

Light leaned down, looking into the window, "One more thing... I know I agreed to help with the investigation, but I don't think I'll be able to do much until my father is healthy again."

"Yes, of course," conceded the detective as the car began to drive off. "Well then..."

* * *

Now that all the police were gone, Nyoko stood before the warehouse like a lone soldier, Kuro standing behind her as always.

"Do you think it _wise_ to refrain from using the note, Mistress?" the Shinigami questioned, gazing up at the warehouse warily.

"I told you, Kuro; I'll _only_ use the note at the opportune moment," she replied, staring up at the warehouse as well. "I'll use it as soon as possible."

"You _do_ understand that I am supposed to enforce the use of the note now that I am here, do you not?" his gruff voice asked her, his gaze trailing down from the building and resting on the back of her head of raven locks.

Nyoko sighed softly, remembering Kuro explaining what could happen to him should he fail to follow rules.

"Yes, I remember you telling me that before and I understand the consequence for you," the negotiator told him, closing her eyes as the wind whipped past her. "When you told me that, you _also_ said you were willing to take a risk. Have you changed your mind, Kuro? I'll understand if you have."

"No, I have _not_, Mistress," Kuro answered her inquiry truthfully, the tips of his claws toying with the tips of her hair, unbeknownst to Nyoko.

"I see," said the woman before him, smiling lightly. "I am _also_ very grateful for all you've done and continue to do for me, Kuro."

Kuro tilted his head slightly, pondering aloud, "Do you think the Great god of death knows of what I've done?"

"The powers that _enforce_ the rules you have to follow have either chosen to allow me to keep the note, regardless of the rule, _or_ those powers haven't found out yet," she reasoned aloud. "I don't know which is true..."

"I see," he replied, tail slightly wagging with hope that the Great god of death would never find out or had, for some reason, overlooked his treason.

"I haven't used the note yet; that much is true," Musiko said in summation, looking up at the warehouse. "But I promise you that I _will_ use it against all other Kiras... and once I have all the known notes, one side of me will win and we'll see what I decide."

* * *

Now inside the warehouse, Musiko stood before six hostages with gags in their mouths, ropes around their wrists and ankles as they sat on the floor.

"I see that they're safe and reasonably well, given the circumstances," she assessed, the woman on the far right of the hostage line-up looking at her as if she were mad.

Turning to face their tormentors, she looked at Kenichi Imamura and his two lackeys she had no names for. By the look in their eyes, however, she knew the two lackeys were just as crazy as their leader.

"Now, about your helicopter; I'll have to give my boss a call so she can get it set up and over here within five hours," Musiko began the negotiation process, hands to her hips. "As for Miss Sakura Ogawa, she's staying safe in the building two doors down on the left for now."

"_What_?" Kenichi asked, rubbing his blood-shot eyes which had likely not shut in sleep for days.

"Why didn't you _bring_ her?!" he shouted, enraged and waving his gun at Musiko.

Musiko lifted her hands up in a submissive gesture, saying, "Hey, hey; it's not _my_ fault. She said she didn't want to come and that she didn't approve of you taking hostages, or at least that if you _had_ to take hostages, she doesn't approve of taking more than _one_."

"She... _doesn't_?" he asked with a confused tone, scratching his stubble as he rubbed the side of his gun to the side of his head.

"Yeah, that's what she said," the negotiator replied, taking in his every movement and every look passing through his eyes.

'_He's __**buying**__ it,_' she assessed from his expression. '_Just a little more..._'

Suddenly, he waved his two friends toward the hostages, commanding loudly, "Let five of them go!"

"But, Ken, do you--?" one began to ask, cut off by the barrel of Kenichi's gun in his face.

"I said let them go!" Kenichi snarled like a rabid dog, his friend scrambling over to the third man and helping him untie five hostages.

Once they were all untied, they stood like deer caught in headlights, Kenichi growling at them.

"Go! Get out! _Now_!" he shouted at the five, the two women, two boys and one girl hurriedly leaving the warehouse.

Musiko inwardly sighed with relief, thinking to herself, '_Now I've got to get Imamura to go after that Ogawa __**ghost girl**__ two doors down..._'

"Mr. Imamura? No one said you had to stay here while your girlfriend is just two doors down," she offered, gesturing with one hand to each of his friends. "Leave Tweedledee and Tweedledum in charge here and I'll call for two helicopters - one for you and your girlfriend and one for your two friends... I mean, you shouldn't keep a woman waiting since we're all pretty _temperamental_ about things like that."

Kenichi paced around, rubbing his temples and thinking over her words.

He then turned on her, stalking up to her with his gun in her face.

"How do I know this isn't a _trap_?"

"Well, for _one_ thing, if it _were_ a trap, I would have lied and said your girlfriend wanted you to release _all_ the hostages," she reasoned smoothly, nose twitching away from the barrel of his gun. "It would be pretty _stupid_ of me to leave one hostage behind to get killed if I screwed up and pissed you off. _Plus_, telling you exactly where your girlfriend is is like offering you a way to escape, even if that left your friends stuck here with me and a hostage."

Slowly, he backed away and began pacing once more, thinking over every word she said in his unstable mind as carefully as possible.

"Hey! Why are you so calm about this, _huh_?" one of Kenichi's friends asked Musiko, their leader stopping in his pacing path to look at her.

"My job as a negotiator pretty much involves doing this kind of thing on a daily basis," replied the raven-haired woman, shrugging it off. "I get guns in my face almost _every_ day of my life... It's hard to look scared after a couple of years of being a negotiator."

Kenichi pistol-whipped the lackey that asked her the question.

"Idiot!" he shouted in his rage, although he'd actually knocked the lackey unconscious.

"Er... Yeah, I think you knocked him out," Musiko commented, trying to keep from laughing.

'_**God**__... Now the __**criminal**__ is taking out the bad guys,_' she thought, thoroughly amused and looking up from the lackey to Kenichi.

"Shit, man," the other lackey complained of the ordeal, watching Kenichi closely.

"_You_," Kenichi growled out, hand running through his medium length black hair as he waved his pistol at his friend with his orders. "Stay here."

With that, he took off and left the warehouse, presumably to meet his girlfriend.

Musiko looked at the remaining lackey, then the one on the floor.

Looking back to the conscious one, she asked, gesturing to the other, "May I see if he's really alright?"

"Whatever, bitch," he allowed, pointing his gun at her as he held it with both hands to steady his shaking aim.

She walked over cautiously, making sure to keep her back to the one who was conscious. She then checked the fallen lackey's pulse, finding him to be alive. Seconds later, she moved upward slightly, but her leg came out behind her, hitting the standing lackey's hands hard enough to cause him to toss the gun in the air.

Standing fully in one swift, fluid motion, she turned around and caught the gun in one hand as she kicked the man in the stomach, knocking him backward into a window and consequently causing it to shatter. She shielded her face as the glass flew all around them, a few large shards slicing into her arms which protected her face effectively, the glass not lodging very deeply.

Quickly, she trained her newfound gun on the lackey with one hand, but he looked to be passed out, shards of glass in random parts of his body.

'_Should I take out the shards __**myself**__?_' she pondered, glancing at her bloody arms before reasoning with herself calmly. '_I'm no doctor, so I think I'd better wait until I can get a __**medic**__ in here..._'

Remaining cautious, she backed away toward the remaining hostage, keeping the criminal in sight with her gun trained on him. With her free hand, she slipped out a knife from her bra, cutting the man's ropes from his wrists and ankles, said man removing his gag with his regained freedom of movement.

"Come on," she instructed, standing upright. "I've gotta get you out of here before _Sleeping Beauty_ wakes up."

The man stood, although he was limping, and, with a last check on the lackey, she helped the man to the stairs. In the process, however, she had to face away from the criminal for a few moments, watching as the hostage made it past two flights of stairs.

In those few moments, Kuro shouted to her, "He's awake!"

Turning around quickly, Musiko took aim at the lackey just as he aimed unsteadily at her, both guns going off. Kuro had no time to react, Musiko's bullet striking the criminal expertly in the heart, while the criminal's bullet struck her in the left shoulder. The force of the hit threw Musiko back slightly, but just enough so that she stumbled, consequently falling down the staircase.

Kuro hurriedly went down the stairs to her where she had landed two flights down, back to the wall and legs bent to the side.

"Mistress!" he called to her, fear pervading his tone, Musiko looking up at him and grimacing from pain.

"I didn't break anything on my fall at least," she spoke, laughing lightly at her own horrible joke, though her voice was strained. "I've got to... I'll just..."

Pulling up one of the upper bones on the collar she always wore which L had given her, she sighed heavily.

"I don't think Yuki will... come back over here," she told Kuro, smiling at her thought, though it looked more like another grimace. "She's probably wrapped up in arresting Kenichi..."

Even as she held her bleeding shoulder tightly, placing pressure on the wound, Musiko managed to pull out her phone, waiting patiently for her expected call.

* * *

L's phone suddenly rang, his ring tone for Nyoko - Please, Forgive Me by Garnet Crow - going off.

Quickly, he flipped the phone open, calling Musiko back.

* * *

Musiko's phone rang suddenly through the uncomfortable silence of the warehouse, Utada Hikaru's First Love playing as her ring tone for L, the wounded negotiator answering it.

"There was a minute delay," she joked into the phone, laughing breathlessly. "I could have been _dead_ by now."

"Now is not the time for jokes, Musiko," L replied, a worried tone in his stern voice. "What's wrong?"

"Uh... I got shot," she replied from the other end of the line, laughing. "I also... fell down two flights of stairs... I'm so clumsy when people shoot at me... Plus, the criminal fell on a window earlier... and I have shards stuck in my arms... and they went deeper on my fall... Just... Just my _luck_, you know?"

She laughed, though it faded into what sounded like dry heaves.

Her voice turning somber, she added, "I think I'm going to die, L..."

"Musiko!" he shouted in return, worriedly standing from his seat.

He looked to Watari who had used a computer to find the negotiator's whereabouts via the tracking chip in her collar, L commanding, "Send an ambulance to her location _now_!"

"Yes, sir," Watari replied, also concerned for the woman and picking up a phone to dial for an ambulance as instructed.

L then paced away, shouting into his cell phone, "_Musiko_!"

"What the... the hell do you want, y-yelling at me like I'm _deaf_?" she groaned out. "Just so you know... my hearing is fine."

"Try... Try to remain calm," L said in a louder tone than he meant to, lacking his usual calm demeanor.

Musiko huffed, pointing out in an almost whine, "_You're_ the... the one who's yelling..."

Silence passed between them for a bit, only her labored breaths keeping him certain she was awake.

And then her small, broken voice asked, "Am I... going to die, L?"

"I don't make promises I can't keep to you, Nyoko, but the ambulance is on its way," he assured the negotiator, attempting to be as helpful and comforting as possible and yet realistic at the same time.

She sighed, muttering, "That's... really reassuring, L..."

And then, to L's dismay, the line went dead.

* * *

Sighing at L's stupidity, Musiko dialed Near's number.

"Are you alright?" came Near's voice as soon as he picked up.

"Funny you should _ask_ that," she replied without her usual good humor, the woman scowling deeply.

On the other end of the line, Near could tell she was hurt by her heavy breaths and weak voice.

"I got shards of glass in my arms... then I got shot... and fell down two flights of stairs," she explained to him the lengthy process which led to her current status. "The shards went in deeper and... I'm bleeding more than... than the accumulated hearts of the NIES."

He could hardly believe she'd waste her breath to make a joke considering the severity of her situation, but the gesture at least assured him she wasn't panicking as of yet.

"Given the situation, that's not very humorous, Nyoko," Near replied, clearly unamused, his thumb and forefinger pulling at a strand of his snow white hair. "Have you called for an ambulance?"

"No, I'm too... _stupid_... to dial the emergency number," she quipped bitterly, rolling her dark blue eyes. "L called them for me... They're supposedly... on their way."

"You called L _first_?" he asked in disbelief, finger twirling his strand of hair in jerky movements.

She sighed, "Yeah... He gave me an emergency collar and it contacted him..."

Musiko then went off topic, saying, "You know... I should have passed out... by now."

"According to the amount of blood loss you're likely having from the descriptions of your wounds, I'd say that's a fair assessment," he replied, frowning to himself.

"L's not very... comforting... that's why I called you," Musiko managed to say. "Except... you're not being so comforting... either."

"What did L do _this_ time?" asked Near with a sigh.

Musiko chuckled through deep breaths, answering, "I asked him if... I was going to die... and he said he doesn't make promises he can't keep to me... but that the ambulance was... on its w-- Oh, god... I'm _really_ going to die..."

"I may not have a medical degree, but the fact that you haven't passed out by now is not only amazing, but likely a good sign," he replied as reassuringly as possible, attempting to be comforting as she seemed to desire of him.

"Thanks... I hear the medics, though, so... I have to go. Bye," she said, hanging up and slipping her phone back into her pocket.

Amazingly, as soon as it was safely tucked away, she lost the fight for consciousness, the medics finding her moments later.


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Usagi/Serena loves junk food. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** Again, this chapter is heavy on Nyoko. You get to know more about Kuro, including some surprising information about him, as well as more on when Nyoko met Kuro for the first time.

Also, that survey I took also asked me if I had a theme song for my main character, so I listened to my favorite Pandora station online for a few hours and found a little gem that fit her pretty well.

I'd say her theme song is _Little Miss Apocalypse_ by The A.K.A.S.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven - Five of Clubs (Reflection)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- If a human uses the note, a god of death usually appears in front of him/her within 39 days after he/she uses the note._

* * *

"I think you should quit your job, Musiko," L concluded, sitting in his usual manner in a chair beside Musiko's hospital bed two days after her brush with death.

Nearby, Light Yagami sat next to Matsuda. They had come to see her for the first time, whereas L had been by once a day.

She frowned at the food in front of her, utensil poking at a small bowl of green gelatin for the hundredth time as she sat in her hospital bed, back propped up by three pillows.

"Yes, because it's _so_ much safer working on the Kira investigation," she replied with a sarcastic smile briefly aimed in L's direction.

"It seems safer than having a gun pointed at you once or twice a month," Light commented in the detective's defense, Musiko scowling at him.

Looking down at the green gelatin, she poked it once more with her plastic spoon.

"I think I prefer _guns_ pointed at me," she stated thoughtfully, frowning to herself. "At least then I'd have the chance to avoid being hurt, like any logical human being would prefer..."

Musiko then rambled off-track, "And this gelatin is disgusting, vile, repulsive and downright offensive to my mouth... I need _meat_... and not that melted plastic _ham crap_ they try to feed you in here."

Looking to L, she sighed heavily, "I don't suppose you brought me any meat."

"No," he replied, looking down to his feet almost as if he were ashamed he hadn't thought to do so.

She sighed again, leaning her head back on the pillows behind her.

"I thought almost dying might give me some sort of epiphany about life," she mused, looking up at the muted television. "All it's given me is a medical bill."

Suddenly, her phone began to play her ring tone for Near, Musiko using her not so hurt arm to reach down the front of her hospital gown and into her bra that she refused to remove, her fingers pulling out her phone.

"Near, you have the worst timing ever... _Ever_," she said into her phone, half amused as her eyes were staring at the white ceiling.

"Have you already been placed in another dangerous situation?" Near's voice asked incredulously.

"No, no, nothing like that," she assured him, smiling slightly. "It's just that I'm not being very _pleasant_ today..."

"I believe I can handle you when you aren't very pleasant after half a year of helping you recover from your depression, Musiko," he replied sternly.

Musiko paled a little, laughing unsurely.

"Yes, well... Let's not talk about that, _hm_?" she requested, sighing at the many unwanted memories his words brought to the forefront of her mind, the negotiator quickly changing the topic to divert her train of thought. "What have you called me for?"

"I called to see if you were alive, in case you've forgotten that our last contact was two days ago when you were on the verge of death," Near pointed out for the forgetful woman, voice daring her to make any snarky remarks.

"Oh, my god! I'm so sorry!" the raven-haired woman apologized abruptly. "It's _just_... I didn't remember and I was out of it and I--"

"Musiko, calm down," his calm, quiet voice commanded.

"Well, I'm still sorry," she muttered, frankly ashamed of her forgetful nature. "I'm obviously alive. I've got a few nasty scars on my arms, which likely means I'll be wearing long sleeves for the remainder of my days, but other than _that_... I'm alright, I guess."

"Good. I'll let you rest then," he said, pausing a few moments before adding on to his thought. "And Musiko?"

"Yes, Near?" Musiko asked, wondering what was on his mind.

He took a deep breath before replying softly, "I love you."

Musiko furrowed her brow and took a breath to say something, but the line went dead.

"Well, bastard," she fussed, hanging up and cramming her phone back into her bra in an annoyed manner.

Her head bobbed from side to side as she complained, "Says something like _that_ and then hangs up on me... Of all the _nerve_!"

L watched her closely, noticing her flushed cheeks.

"What did he say?" he found himself asking before he could think better of it.

"He says he loves me and then _hangs up_... like a typical _man_!" she complained, her upper body movements causing her to grimace.

"Life keeps throwing curve balls at me," she muttered, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "You'd think I'd get _used_ to it by now."

Moments later, a nurse came in.

"Visiting hours are over," she told Musiko's visitors, Matsuda and Light standing.

"_You_! Spawn of the sterilized Devil!" Musiko growled out, pointing at the nurse accusingly. "Don't you show your face in here again until you bring me something edible!"

With that command, she threw her gelatin at the woman, nailing the poor nurse in the face.

The nurse shook with contained fury, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly.

"_Yes_, Miss Hanabi," the little nurse replied with perfect control of her rage, but nevertheless storming out of the room.

"I told her over _five times_ that I _need_ beef jerky to function properly, but she just doesn't listen... so she _deserved_ that!" Musiko justified her actions childishly.

"Eh-heh," Matsuda laughed lightly, smiling unsurely as he rubbed the back of his head, not knowing what to say.

Light grinned at Musiko.

"Your surname does you justice," he flirted seamlessly, bowing slightly and turning to leave with Matsuda in tow.

Musiko blushed at the unexpected flirtation, completely flustered by his comment as they went out the door, closing it behind them.

"_Well_!" she finally declared, at a loss for words and smiling a little.

Noticing L staring up at her with his big puppy-dog-lost-in-the-abyss eyes, she stared back at him.

"You're not going with them?" she questioned the raven-haired detective, head nodding toward the door for emphasis.

"No," he replied. "If I leave you alone, you'll attempt to escape the hospital."

"_Damn_. You've discovered my clever plan," said the negotiator jokingly, smirking. "But that nurse is like Satan Claus; she sees you when you're sleeping, knows when you're awake, knows when you've been bad or good, _etcetera_, _etcetera_... She'll kick you out."

He smiled one of his rare smiles, joking back comfortably, "I'm ninety-nine point nine percent certain I could take her in a fight."

Musiko laughed, pulling a thoughtful face before replying with another laugh, "Yeah, you probably could... until she brings out the _needles_."

* * *

Later that night, L and Musiko remained in her darkened hospital room, the light of the muted television and the silver moon outside her window the only illumination. L remained in his chair, though Musiko had coaxed him into relaxing enough to sit normally, watching the television screen. Presumably, watching muted TV programs was interesting to the dark-haired detective.

As for Musiko, she watched the moon through the thin curtains over the window, thinking of all the reasons she should quit her job. Eventually, she decided to herself that she would quit being a negotiator and take up singing once more, only in a different manner. But even with _that_ decision behind her, she still felt restless and it seemed even the ever-present _Kuro_ could sense her unease.

The Shinigami gazed at her with his blood red and black-pupiled eyes, both knowing she was restless and that he had almost failed in his self-appointed job to keep her alive.

* * *

_Kuro had watched Nyoko from the Shinigami realm for a year when she was in her career as a singer, but when she left the limelight to fight criminals by being a negotiator, he decided she needed him and that she might be the perfect candidate he'd been looking for for so long._

_The extra notebook he'd kept with him for such a long time suddenly became his ticket to the human world and meeting the woman he regarded as a goddess, the strange, even for a god of death, Shinigami making sure to drop the notebook in her path._

_When she picked it up, she paid little mind to it, but took it home and sat it beside her bed. From her bedroom window, he watched as she read how to use the Death Note and how she seemed not to regard it as a prank. Rather, she kept it safely with her at all times, never using its power._

_Seeing that she would not use the note, Kuro made his presence known one month after she had obtained it. A normal human, he had reasoned, would be afraid of him, screaming, cowering and the like._

_However, he found that Nyoko was __**not**__ a normal human being._

* * *

_Kuro phased into Nyoko's bedroom of her apartment in the states, hiding in the shadows and speaking in his rough, low voice to catch her attention as she sat on her bed, back against the wall and her pillows, flipping through the Death Note._

_"The Death Note is of interest to you?" he questioned the human, Nyoko looking around before spotting his shadowed form, barely able to make him out._

_Nyoko didn't sense an intent to kill from the shadowed beast hiding in her room and she reasoned that if a beast must hide in the shadows from a human, he either feared her or didn't want her to be initially terrified by his appearance. She ruled out that his reason for staying in the shadows was to frighten her as it would logically be more frightening if he simply appeared in front of her._

_"Come into the light so I can see you," she commanded gently and cautiously, closing the Death Note on her lap._

_When he moved into the light, she stared up at him in awe of his form, taking in every detail with child-like fascination._

_"I don't say this to __**offend**__ you, but you look like a Halloween costume gone comically __**awry**__," Nyoko pointed out, grinning at the Shinigami._

_Kuro laughed heartily, happy she wasn't frightened as he assumed she'd be._

_"My name is Kuro and __**that**__," he said, one long, bony finger with a long, black claw pointing to the notebook that rested on her lap, "is my Death Note."_

_She picked it up in one hand, inquiring, "Did you come to take it back... or was someone supposed to find it?"_

_"I left it in your path, Mistress; it is now yours to use as you wish," he informed her, his wolfish tail wagging slightly. "But, before you write a name in its pages, I caution you that those who use the Death Note know much sorrow and pain. People believe that those who use a Death Note are cursed."_

_"__**First**__ of all, you don't need to call me Mistress... __**Second**__ of all, sorrow? I've had a __**lot**__ of __**that**__ before," she mused, looking at the red notebook before returning her gaze to the creature. "As for pain, do you mean __**physical**__ or __**emotional**__ pain?"_

_Kuro blinked at her a couple of times, pondering the question himself before replying, "It will likely bring you __**both**__ once you have written in it. And I would __**like**__ to call you Mistress."_

_"I see, on __**both**__ accounts," replied Nyoko, her index finger tracing the foreign-looking writing on the Death Note's cover. "Is there anything __**else**__ I need to know regarding this... __**Death Note**__?"_

_"Yes, Mistress," he confirmed, walking closer to her bed. "Those who use the Death Note can go to neither Heaven nor Hell."_

_She nodded, turning the cover to look at the instructions once more._

_"Are there more instructions than these on how to use the Death Note?"_

_"Yes, and I happen to be the Shinigami who knows the most about the Death Note," he told her, gazing at the red cover of his extra Death Note._

_"__**Really**__? And you're a __**Shinigami**__, you say?" she asked, but continued speaking abruptly. "Yes, that __**would**__ make a lot of sense."_

_One of his talons tapped on the carpet as he added, "I should tell you now that Shinigami don't do anything to help or prevent a death brought about by the Death Note. Also, a Shinigami is obligated to assure that the human who finds the Death Note uses it."_

_"I understand, but with something as powerful as this is," she said, holding up the Death Note and looking into the Shinigami's eyes, "I would only use it sparingly, although I can promise you that I __**would**__ use it when an opportune moment presents itself."_

_"Let me explain my reason for choosing you to find the Death Note," Kuro said, Nyoko holding up a finger._

_"Before you do that, you can sit on the bed, if you like," she offered, gesturing to the edge of the bed. "This seems like it'll be a lengthy discussion."_

_Kuro grinned, chuckling at her comment before thanking her and sitting down._

_"I have watched you for roughly a __**year**__ of the human calendar from the Shinigami realm," he began to explain. "You are a point of __**fascination**__ for me, though I cannot find the reason. I only know that you are interesting and beautiful to me, thus I chose to give you the Death Note so that I could stay with you in the human world."_

_Nyoko nodded, taking in the new information. She found his confession of fascination with her to be both strange and flattering._

_"A god of death finds __**me**__ interesting?" she asked, pointing to herself, Kuro nodding in confirmation._

_Her hand rested back on her lap as she looked at the Death Note._

_"I'm flattered that a god - even one of __**death**__ - would find me interesting and pretty."_

_"Now that you know my reasons for giving you the Death Note, would you like to know more about the rules and restrictions regarding it and myself?" he asked her._

_"Of course, if you'd be so kind," she replied with a soft smile._

_"One rule you should know should you become able to obtain another Death Note from another Shinigami is that the Shinigami who gives ownership of a Death Note to a human has the right to __**kill**__ that human using his or her own Death Note for any reason," explained Kuro at length. "So, it is even considered acceptable for a Shinigami to kill the human who it gives ownership of a Death Note on the grounds that they do not __**like**__ the owner."_

_Nyoko's eyes widened, "Wow. That's harsh."_

_Kuro chuckled, replying, "Yes, so it would be in your best interest to be __**careful**__ when accepting other Death Notes should the opportunity arise."_

_"Thanks for the warning," she said gratefully, looking down at her Death Note._

_"Another thing you should know is that only __**six**__ Death Notes are allowed to exist at a time in the human world," explained the red-eyed Shinigami. "Also, one human could potentially own __**all six**__ Death Notes."_

_"Are there other Death Notes in the world at the moment?" asked Nyoko immediately to the new information he'd supplied._

_Kuro smiled a bit, having known that would be one of her first questions._

_"At the moment, I do not know of any, I'm afraid," he replied._

_She nodded, "Go on."_

_"One thing you may find useful to know is that the pages of the Death Note will never run out," he told her, sniffing the air._

_"Do I smell __**bad**__ or something?" she asked, laughing lightly._

_Kuro chuckled, "No, Mistress; you smell of vanilla and jasmine. I believe I was smelling beef jerky."_

_"Really?" she asked him, the Shinigami nodding. "So you've been to the human world at least once before then, or do they have those things in the Shinigami realm?"_

_Taking a packet of beef jerky from her nightstand's drawer, she opened it, taking some out and offering it to Kuro, who took it happily._

_"You are very observant; they do not have those smells in the Shinigami realm, so I have __**indeed**__ been to the human world before," the Shinigami replied with a toothy grin. "Your smell is familiar, for you see, I came long ago when an extra notebook I had acquired fell into the hands of Cleopatra VII Philopator. She smelled of jasmine as well."_

_"__**Really**__ now? What's the story behind __**that**__, I wonder," Nyoko commented with interest, quirking a brow curiously._

_"Do you know the __**true**__ reason of Pompey's assassination?" he questioned, leaning forward conspiratorially._

_"Cleopatra used the Death Note to kill __**Pompey**__?" she asked in disbelief, but effectively connected the dots. "She must've written that Ptolemy would order his death as a way of pleasing Caesar, knowing he would present Caesar with Pompey's severed head. But this only __**enraged**__ Caesar because Pompey was a Consul of Rome and the widower of Caesar's only legitimate daughter."_

_Kuro nodded, grinning, "That is __**exactly**__ what happened... Cleopatra was an amazing woman and refused to allow the Death Note to bring her sorrow, pain or misfortune. She is proof that not all humans feel cursed by the note."_

_"Did she use it on anyone else?" Nyoko inquired, intrigued by his story._

_"She used the Death Note to achieve the death of Ptolemy XIII in the Nile and she __**also**__ caused Ptolemy XIV's deteriorating health so that she could make Caesarion, her child with Caesar, her co-regent and successor. To safeguard herself and Caesarion, she also had her sister, Arsinoe, killed by using the Death Note," he explained to the young woman who listened intently. "There were deaths between those due to her use of the Death Note, but those are the notable deaths."_

_"After killing Arsinoe, she decided the Death Note could do nothing further to aid her; she was already a Queen with enough power of her own," he told Nyoko. "So, she burned the notebook and I returned to the Shinigami realm."_

_Nyoko nodded, taking in his information with a grin before looking up to him._

_"Did you make any more visits to the human world before this one?"_

_"Yes," he replied. "Some time later, after I had acquired a new notebook from my father, I ga--"_

_"Woah, woah! Back up!" Nyoko said, signaling for a time-out. "Your __**father**__?"_

_Kuro nodded to her, "Yes. Although Shinigami, excluding myself, cannot mate, the Great Shinigami is able to procreate with __**other**__ Great gods or lesser gods such as myself."_

_"My mother is known by the name Hecate or Trivia to some; she is a Great goddess of death. My wolfish features were gained from her, for she has the head of a wolf," he explained to the intently listening Nyoko. "My lower half that looks like a velociraptor and my goat horns come from my father, the Great god of death, known as Mephistopheles or Mephisto to some and known as Balthazar to others."_

_"So, if you're the son of two Great gods, why did you wind up as a lesser god?" she inquired of him, tilting her head curiously._

_He chuckled at her expression, replying, "Gods who have lesser powers are not called Great gods. My powers, though stronger than the powers of other Shinigami, are not enough to grant me such a title. __**However**__, I am barely one of the other Shinigami because of these differences."_

_"__**So**__, does that mean you're the only Shinigami related to the Great god of death?" she asked._

_"Yes," he answered, picking up the bag of beef jerky lying on her bed with two claws and, with a bit of effort, reaching in and taking out some jerky._

_Chewing on the jerky, he swallowed before saying, "Other Shinigami cannot do for you what I am willing to do, but I will not speak of it until you have decided your final course of action."_

_"Oh. Alright," she replied, helping him keep the bag open so he could take out more jerky. "These tiny, Ziploc bags certainly aren't deity-friendly."_

_Kuro laughed with her, pulling out some beef jerky which he shared with her._

_"Human hands are small and far more nimble," he mused aloud._

_"Oh, I almost forgot, but you were telling me about when you sent another Death Note to earth," she reminded him. "Sorry for the interruption."_

_"It's alright, Mistress," he replied, swallowing some beef jerky. "I took the extra notebook my father gave me and made sure it fell into the hands of an interesting human known as Theodora, the future Byzantine Empress."_

_Nyoko's eyes lit up as she eagerly listened to his story._

_"Theodora had a husband named Justinian," the Shinigami explained. "In five thirty-two, two fractions known as the Blues and the Greens threatened to end Justinian's rule. Theodora persuaded Justinian and his generals and officials to stay in the city and to take strong action to suppress the rebellion."_

_"In order to do so, however, she had to kill a few people and had previously killed Justin, the former Emperor and Justinian's uncle," explained Kuro. "After that, she destroyed the Death Note once she deemed it too powerful for human hands, so I returned to the Shinigami realm once more."_

_Looking over to her, he added, "There are __**others**__ I have given a Death Note to which you might find interesting, but I'll save those stories for another time."_

_"Alright. Thank you for telling me," she replied with a smile, picking up her Death Note and setting it down on her nightstand before returning her gaze to him. "Is there anything __**else**__ you want to tell me regarding the Death Note?"_

_"First, there is a bargain you may make for Shinigami Eyes," Kuro informed her. "Shinigami Eyes give you the ability to see a human's name and remaining lifespan when looking at the human's face. However, one who has ownership of a Death Note cannot see the lifespan of other Death Note owners, including your own lifespan."_

_Nyoko nodded, asking, "And what is the price for the Shinigami Eyes?"_

_"I urge you not to accept the bargain until necessary as the cost is half of your remaining life span," he replied, hoping she would not make the bargain without careful thought._

_"I see," she said, slightly disappointed with the gravity of the cost, grabbing a small piece of jerky and munching on it. "I won't accept that until later on, then."_

_"By the way, those with Shinigami Eyes have eyesight of over three point six in human measurement, __**regardless**__ of that person's original eyesight," he told her. "Also keep in mind that because you own a Death Note, you also cannot be __**killed**__ by a Death Note other than your own... But that is all I will tell you about the note for now."_

_"Now, you must decide what you would like to __**do**__ with the Death Note," Kuro said, waiting to hear what she had to say._

_Nyoko thought on what she should do a few minutes before looking up at the Shinigami and replying, "A few mere minutes aren't enough to come to an appropriate conclusion for something this serious, Kuro. How much time do I have to decide?"_

_"I am willing to risk up to a year's time for you to decide, but after that point, I would feel too in danger of being punished for my failure to ensure the use of the note, even __**if**__ the Great god of death is my father," the Shinigami told her, the raven-haired negotiator nodding._

_Holding her chin, she looked down in thought, replying, "Well, Kuro, a year's time would be plenty, but let's cut it down to six months for your safety."_

_She then looked up to him with a soft smile, "I should be able to come to a decision within half a year's time."_

* * *

Kuro's thoughts were broken when he heard Lawliet's voice asking Nyoko, "You can't sleep?"

Nyoko blinked, her thoughts of how she first met Kuro swirling away as she replied, "There's too much for me to think about, although I _have_ come to _one_ conclusion... I'm definitely not up to negotiating if Yuki's only going to give me the cases no one wants. I don't like working with crazy men. My style is rich, fairly intelligent businessmen who come to the negotiation table sporting suits, ties and sunglasses with polished pistols and no nonsense attitudes."

She huffed a laugh, "At least with _those_ men, I could act accordingly and feel like the alpha female with my lovingly polished handgun, black pantsuit and designer sunglasses of my _normal_ outfit. Crazy criminals who want helicopters and their dead girlfriends just aren't part of my forte."

"What do you intend to do for financial support?" Lawliet questioned with concern, nibbling on his thumb.

"I thought I might get Yuki to quit her job and become my manager so I could attempt a more... _mature_ sort of musical career," she explained to the young detective, sighing. "The only _problem_ with that plan is the Musiko fandom. All of my fans expect cheesy lyrics and nice rhythms. Hearing me perform something from _Ivor Gurney_ or anything of the like may just cause disappointment."

Lawliet watched her a moment before asking, "What do you want to do _most_?"

"Really, I don't even want to do _anything_ anymore," the woman answered with sagging shoulders, looking at the pale moon. "I get no fulfillment from anything but working with you, Near and sometimes Mello. The irony is that the things that bring me fulfillment don't bring me money."

Shrugging, she concluded, "I'll just give the singing thing one good try and if it doesn't pan out, I'll find something else."

"I was also thinking... You know why they called me _Musiko_, L?" she questioned, turning her head slightly and smiling softly as she stared at the point before her where the wall met the ceiling. "It was because they'd find me singing all the time, and since I wouldn't tell them my name, one of them thought up Musiko... The name I _really_ chose expressed everything so much better."

"What did you choose?"

"Nemo Nada - no one, nothing," Nyoko replied, laughing a little. "I had forgotten that name until I almost died and I _realized_ something..."

"What did you realize?" he asked curiously.

She looked over to him with a sly grin, "That I have too many aliases."


	13. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Shadow the Hedgehog likes angst. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** Before I say anything, I know that it might be frustrating for people to read about an author's personal woes, so I'm telling you now that I'm only going to explain this because it might effect the fic. You can skip this if you like.

The story is, I've been having a health problem lately that's either a urinary tract infection or one of a few symptoms that suggest I might have diabetes. One of the symptoms is fatigue.

Now, I know updates have been rather speedy, but that's because I made sure to get a good ways into the story before posting, so I've just been doing some editing before posting the chapters.

From now on, however, updates may be slower because I sleep almost all day and a quarter of the night on most days. Whenever I haven't been sleeping, I've been editing these chapters and posting them.

So, please be patient with me. It's kind of hard to stay awake and even when I'm _awake_, having to go to the bathroom so frequently is a pain in the ass. (I even have to go right now!)

Hopefully, I'll get to a doctor soon so I can get this under control.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve - Ten of Diamonds (Fraud)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- Gods of death, the original owners of the Death Note, do not do, in principle, anything which will help or prevent the deaths in the note._

* * *

A few days after Musiko got out of the hospital, Ryuuzaki and the rest of the task force, minus Light, Musiko and Chief Yagami who was still in the hospital met together at his hotel suite.

"Um... Where's Miss Hanabi?" asked Matsuda from his seat on a couch next to one of the other members.

Ryuuzaki sat in his usual seat and in his usual position, answering, "Miss Hanabi won't be joining us this afternoon. She is... with Light Yagami."

* * *

"So why is it you decided to challenge me to a game of tennis, Light?" Musiko asked, really not caring for the reason but thinking it best to appear interested.

She stood in a plain white t-shirt with long sleeves, a short-sleeved, black shirt over it with purple print on the chest that read "Make me laugh, they'll jiggle." Below that, she wore a pair of black jeans with a silver chain going from a front pocket to the back pocket, black sneakers on her feet.

She completely _refused_ to ever touch any sort of sportswear.

He replied, smiling to the dark-haired woman, "Well, Ryuuga thought it might be a good way to get to know me, so I thought..."

"You thought it might work in getting to know _me_," she finished his thought, twirling her tennis racket idly. "I don't really see how _tennis_ lets people get to know each other, but what do _I_ know?"

With that, she headed passed him to go to her court, Light following behind her.

'_Maybe I can get more information about L's __**past**__ from her,_' he thought, mental wheels turning as always. '_But, if she's __**really**__ on his side, will she suspect me __**more**__ than she already has reason to? ...Still, it couldn't hurt to ask._'

"So how did you end up meeting Ryuuga?" Light questioned the woman, walking to her side.

"We met in England and grew up together for a few good years," she replied vaguely, shrugging. "On principle, I'll tell you nothing more than that, even though the story wouldn't help you know anything more about Ryuuga than you already _do_. I have to respect his wishes, though."

"I see," replied Light, his thoughts soon running once again.

'_She's very loyal to L, even if she's not __**completely**__ on his side... That's good to know._'

* * *

Light and Musiko's match ended uneventfully with Light winning, Musiko waiting for Light to change from his sportswear as she sat outside.

"Hey," he called as he returned, walking over to her. "I could use a drink... Would you like to go to a cafe?"

"Sure," answered Musiko, standing and moving beside him as they made their way to leave.

Looking around discreetly, she noticed no one was paying any attention to them, so she decided to truly set her plan into motion.

"Light, there's something you should know _now_ before you attempt to befriend me any further," she cautioned, gazing ahead.

He looked over to her curiously, "What's that?"

"I know you're Kira," Musiko said softly, looking up at Light with a grin that he thought was rather seductive. "My cards never lie, but there's _one_ other factor which let me know you were Kira..."

"And what is that?" he asked, even if only to humor her.

'_Could she really __**know**__ that I'm Kira?_' he thought, watching the woman closely. '_Is she bluffing?_'

She smiled, eyes flashing, "My Shinigami met yours."

Light's eyes briefly widened, but he recovered quickly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the young brunette lied smoothly, looking ahead once more.

He wasn't sure how much Musiko knew from her own methods and how much she _really_ knew about the Death Note.

"Your Shinigami's name is Ryuk," the dark-eyed woman told him with a smirk. "But you don't have to worry, Light Yagami, because I believe you are the _god_ of the new world. I believe in your cause."

Now, Light was _certain_ she had a Death Note; there was no way she could have touched his and without touching his Death Note, there was no other way she could know Ryuk's name. Not even _fortune-telling cards_ could reveal something like that.

Slowly, Kira grinned, replying, "I see. And no one knows you have this power?"

"No one knows," she confirmed, looking forward. "I haven't used the Death Note I've acquired as of yet, actually... I'm looking for what you would call... the opportune moment."

As she smiled darkly to herself, the raven-haired woman's mind added possessively, '_Such as a moment to __**kill**__ you for threatening __**my**__ detective._'

"Sadly, my Shinigami is risking his _life_ by failing to ensure that I use the note," Musiko added, turning her gaze to the young man at her side. "_Still_, he's very loyal to me... He visited your Shinigami and told him to give you a message. Did you ever receive it?"

Ryuk chuckled at the exchange before him, "This woman is pretty interesting..."

'_Should I __**answer**__ her?_' Kira wondered cautiously, unwilling to submit to trusting her so easily. '_She __**could**__ be wired and waiting for me to say something __**Kira**__ would say, but... if she were trying to get me to __**confess**__, why would she send a message to alert me of her presence? That would've given me __**plenty**__ of time to think about her and theorize her plan._'

'_If she were actually trying to make me confess,_' he concluded to himself sagely, '_she logically __**wouldn't**__ have sent that message. __**Also**__, she would have strategically waited longer before telling me so she could gain more of my trust... I'm almost __**certain**__ she's not wired, __**but**__... I'd rather be safe than reveal too much just yet._'

"If you're wired and are just trying to get me to confess to being Kira, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you," Light asserted wisely, choosing his words carefully.

"Oh, I pretty much _knew_ you would think that," replied Musiko confidently, smiling slightly. "That's why I didn't bring my purse. I'll let you check my wallet and see that my phone isn't recording you."

Grinning, she looked over to him, "As for wires, _well_... you'll either just have to trust me or check me over for them."

Light smirked to her suggestive tone, replying, "As tempting as that offer _is_, there's an easier way to prove yourself, if that's really what you want to do. Even though I'm _not_ Kira, I'd still like to know I can trust you. So, if you really have this _Shinigami_ you speak of, just show it to me. Maybe _then_ I'll believe what you're saying about this _Death Note_."

"Suit yourself," allowed Musiko easily with a slight shrug, pulling a slip of paper from her back pocket.

She then touched it to Light's hand, the young man stopping and looking behind her to see her Shinigami.

His eyes narrowed as he thought, '_Is she __**stupid**__? Showing me her Shinigami is like announcing that she has a __**death wish**__._'

"If you're thinking you can kill me with the note now, think again," Musiko warned him, smiling a vexing smile that suggested she knew something he didn't. "In case your Shinigami isn't as _loyal_ and _kind_ as mine, I'll tell you something useful to know: those who own a Death Note cannot be _killed_ by a Death Note other than their own or that of their Shinigami. If you plan to kill me, you'll have to get your hands dirty, Light Yagami."

Satisfied that she wasn't wired, but ever careful, the brunette held out his hand and reminded, "You said you wanted to prove you weren't recording this conversation, right?"

"Mhm," she hummed with a smile, pulling out her phone and wallet, Light making sure her pockets were empty before checking both items.

"_You know_, I've seen you hide items in your bra," he reminded her a second time, smirking mischievously.

Musiko laughed lightly, "So you have."

Looking around quickly, she lifted her shirts, exposing her bra-clad chest and bending so that he had both a good view of her breasts and of the part of her bra where she hid items. Just as quickly, she pulled down her shirts, adjusting them a moment.

"You're very... _bold_ for a Japanese person," Light pointed out, smiling and handing her back her wallet and personally slipping her phone into the pocket it had been retrieved from earlier.

"I'm part Irish," Musiko answered simply with a stereotype, shrugging and putting her returned wallet back into her other pocket.

The woman then looked over to Light, "Do you plan to kill me because I know so much, or do you plan to let me help you? I'd be a _very_ loyal follower..."

Light thought this over a moment; she seemed genuinely ready to aid him however he wanted her to, and now that he was satisfied completely that she wasn't wired, he could speak freely with her.

Thinking deeper, he realized she was the first person to know his identity as Kira who claimed to be on his side. The fact that she was female and attractive, at least as far as her body was concerned, was just a bonus. Plus, there was her intellect to consider; she was clever and had a very good understanding of psychology, both of which could be very useful. And what's more was her psychic abilities.

However, if she were really on his side, why had she joined the Kira investigation and been helpful to them so far? Even though he reasoned she would say she was looking for a way to get close to Kira, he decided to ask.

He looked over to the raven-haired woman, asking, "If you're _truly_ on Kira's side, why did you join the Kira investigation?"

Musiko looked over to him, expression feigning puzzlement on why he didn't already know the answer to his query.

"Well, I just so _happened_ to know L, and when he asked me to help him with the investigation, I wondered what _better_ way there could possibly be to get close to Kira," she explained patiently. "The more information I had, the better to go over with my special abilities. It _also_ just so happened that _you_ joined the investigation as well..."

"It was... a perfect coincidence," she concluded with a smile, dark intentions hidden behind darker eyes.

* * *

Sitting at his desk in his room that night, Light appeared to be thinking something over very carefully, Ryuk bored with his inactivity, the Shinigami lying on the young man's bed.

Finally, the brunette muttered, "She's _perfect_, Ryuk..."

"Huh?" the Shinigami grunted in question. "_Who's_ perfect?"

"Musiko Hanabi," Light returned impatiently, leaning back in his chair as he wheeled around to face Ryuk.

Ryuk chuckled, "Oh, yeah? You think so?"

"Not how _you're_ thinking," Light sighed, deciding to clarify.

"Musiko Hanabi is everything I need in a partner," explained the brunette student to the Shinigami. "She's intelligent, beautiful and, _most importantly_, she knows that I'm Kira and is _devoted_ to me."

"Uh... Did I mention the part about how those who own the Death Note know agony and pain?" Ryuk asked rhetorically, chuckling.

Light crossed his arms over his chest, replying, "I don't _love_ her, Ryuk; I'm going to _use_ her. She has the Shinigami Eyes, after all. With the Eyes on my side, Kira would have even _more_ power."

"I don't like that Kuro," the Shinigami stated thoughtfully of the death god shadowing Musiko Hanabi. "He's the _only_ Shinigami who's been to the human world multiple times and his _father_ is the old guy - the Great god of death. He gets Death Notes whenever he wants... I hear he even dropped one into Cleopatra and the Byzantine Empress Theodora's hands, among others."

He then chuckled, "He's a daddy's boy, but he's pretty powerful..."

"Her Shinigami is the _son_ of the Great god of death?" Light asked, aggravated that he could never count on _his_ Shinigami to be as helpful as Musiko had insistently assured her own was.

"Yeah. _So_?" Ryuk asked, not seeing the point as usual.

"Well, what other _powers_ does he possess?"

"Dunno, Light... but I wouldn't interfere with whatever he's doing," the Shinigami warned, tossing an apple up and down as he looked at the young man. "I hear he's got a _terrible_ temper."

"_Really_?" muttered Light, turning to face his desk and leaning forward onto it as he held his chin. "If he normally gives his Death Notes to people like Cleopatra and Empress Theodora, why is he giving one to a mere _negotiator_ like Musiko?"

After consuming his apple, Ryuk replied, "Dunno that either, but whenever Kuro gives out ownership of a Death Note, whoever receives it usually becomes pretty famous, not to mention _powerful_..."

Light grinned, leaning back in his chair once more as his hand fell from his chin, "All the more reason to have her help Kira..."

"Hey," Ryuk interjected. "Ya got anymore apples?"

* * *

"What _is_ this crap?!" shouted one of the heads of Sakura TV. "Don't tell me this is your idea of a proposal!"

Pointing his cigarette at his associates, he continued to shout, "Listen! You people must think that just _mentioning_ Kira's name is enough to get us the ratings we _need_, huh?"

"Well, you're _wrong_!" the chubby, mustached man in glasses informed them loudly. "Our program gets the ratings because _we_ cover the stories that the other stations won't touch! If it _bleeds_, it _leads_."

"What I _need_," he began insistently, smudging his cigarette in a can and dropping it in, "is a _good freakin' story_, not this crap. Now get out there and find me a story!"

A timid looking man at the table spoke up, "But the police won't _talk_, sir. It's been _impossible_ to get details from them lately."

"Idiot!" their superior shouted, slamming his fist to the table. "I don't pay you to complain! If they _won't_ give you anything, then get creative!"

A knock at the door interrupted their discussion, a brunette woman with glasses on coming into the room, an envelope in hand. After giving it to the chubby man, she left, the boss pouring out four cassettes from the envelope.

"What is it?" he asked before picking up a piece of paper that fell out along with the cassettes.

"So who is _this_ from?" he pondered aloud, reading the note.

Suddenly, he grinned and chuckled darkly.

"Now _this_ is more like it," he said happily. "This is what _I_ call a story."

The note read: If you do not broadcast these tapes as instructed, I will kill your company's board of directors one by one, starting with the president.

"It's _almost_ too good to be true - a message to the world from Kira," he explained. "'If you do not broadcast these tapes, I will kill your company's board of directors one by one!' ...Who _wouldn't_ air these?"

He grinned, staring at the note before him, "If this is for real, our ratings are gonna go through the _roof_! ...Holy crap! I'm so excited _I_ feel like I'm having a heart attack here!"

* * *

It was evening, the sun's dying light filtering through the curtains of Ryuuzaki's hotel suite as the police and L were meeting once again.

"Um... Where's Miss Hanabi today?" asked Matsuda once again of the raven-haired woman.

"Matsuda, you sure _ask_ about her a lot," one of the other men noted, smirking. "This is about the _fifth time_ you've asked about her absence."

Matsuda's eyes widened at the remark.

"I just think she's really nice!" he insisted. "_Really_!"

As the other men laughed at his reaction, Ryuuzaki informed them, "Musiko decided to spend this night with Light Yagami so that they could get to know one another better."

"So, regarding Naomi Misora's disappearance, shouldn't we open an investigation regarding this matter?" one of the men asked, changing the subject.

"If we do, it should be coordinated _separately_ from the Kira case," answered Ryuuzaki, glad to have the topic on more comfortable ground. "Also, we'll have to use police sketches instead of actual photos."

"We're talking about someone who's been missing for _four months_ already," added Aizawa. "Chances are, she's probably _dead_."

"If you're _right_ about that, I find it _odd_ that we haven't found her body yet," the detective replied. "If we _did_, it might provide us with some much needed physical evidence."

Watari then walked into the room, announcing to the detective, "Ryuuzaki, something seems to be happening on Sakura TV."

Turning the TV on, Watari and the others watched three news anchors, the man in the middle speaking.

"In other words, _all_ of the reporters and staff here are Kira's hostages," he informed the viewers gravely. "Aside from that, we have a professional obligation to share _this_ message with you. I assure you that this is _not_ a hoax and that Sakura TV is _not_ airing this tape for the purposes of sensationalism."

"Kira's _hostages_?" Aizawa repeated in question.

Matsuda watched, pondering aloud, "What _is_ this?"

"Four days ago, our program director here at Sakura TV received _four_ tapes," the news anchor continued. "After a thorough examination, there could be no _doubt_ that they are from Kira himself."

"The first tape we received," he went on to say, "contained a _prediction_ regarding the time of death of two suspected criminals who'd _recently_ been arrested. And as predicted, at the _exact_ time that Kira had specified, _both_ men died suddenly of heart attacks yesterday."

'_If what they're saying is true,_' thought Ryuuzaki as he stared at the screen, '_it's __**clearly**__ something that only __**Kira**__ could do..._'

"Kira has instructed us to air the _second_ tape _today_ at exactly five fifty-nine PM," reported the newscaster as the television screen showed a picture of the cassette in question. "And we _do_ intend to _comply_ with his demands... This tape _should_ offer proof of his powers by predicting yet _another_ death."

"Beyond that, we understand that it contains a message to _all_ the people of the world _from_ Kira," he went on to say.

Though the men in the room talked about this news, Ryuuzaki heard nothing but the noise from the TV, eyes fixed on the screen.

"And now, the video," the news anchor announced, the video changing to a white screen with the name 'Kira' written in Old London font.

"Ahem. I am Kira," a masked voice announced to the viewers. "If this video is being aired on April eighteenth at exactly five fifty-nine PM as I requested, then the time now is five fifty-nine. Forty-seven, forty-eight, forty-nine... Please change the channel to Taiyou TV. The news anchor will die of a heart attack at _exactly_ six o'clock."

"Change it," Ryuuzaki ordered, Watari changing the channel to find the specified anchor was dead.

After a few moments, the detective ordered once more, "Change the channel back. And I need you to bring us another TV, Watari. No, make it two."

Watari left to retrieve the televisions as Ryuuzaki carefully watched the screen. Again, the masked voice specified another news anchor.

"Change it to channel twenty-four," the detective commanded, he and the police seeing that the man specified had died.

"Please, change it back," he said softly, the channel returning to Kira's message.

"Now that you've seen proof of my powers," the masked voice continued, "you should have _no_ trouble believing that _I_ am Kira."

'_Kira said that he was going to send a message to the people of the world,_' L thought, hands gripping his knees as he watched the screen.

"Stop this broadcast!" he shouted. "We _can't_ let him finish!"

The officers attempted to get Sakura TV on the phone, but to no avail, Ukita leaving to attempt stopping the broadcast himself.

"People of the world, _please_ listen to me," the masked voice on the tape plead with the world. "The _last_ thing I want to do is kill the innocent. I _hate_ evil and _love_ justice. I've always thought of the polices as allies, _not_ as enemies."

'_Damn you, Kira,_' L inwardly cursed, biting down on his thumb.

* * *

Ukita made it to the Sakura TV building, jumping out of his police car and running up to the doors. He attempted to pry them open after a man inside crossed his arms to signal 'no entrance', but failed to open them. Instead, he moved back, ready to shoot the door open.

Unfortunately, a sudden pain in his chest caused him to freeze, having a heart attack and dropping his gun. However, he managed with great effort to push the button on the belt Ryuuzaki had issued the police officers before falling to his knees and then to his side, dead.

* * *

"What kind of _moron_ made those tapes?" asked Musiko with a disbelieving shake of her head, said woman sitting on Light's bed with him and watching the broadcast.

"Musiko," Light called her attention, the young man looking over to her. "Can you find out anything about this Kira through your cards?"

"It's worth a _shot_, at the least," she answered, turning around as she pulled her pack of cards from her purse.

She then began a spread, looking through her cards.

"It seems this Kira is devoted to the true Kira and I'm picking up female energy, so I'd definitely say it's a female," Musiko explained once her spread was done. "Whoever it is, she feels a romantic attachment to Kira that she herself does not recognize for what it is."

After putting away her cards, she turned back around to watch the broadcast with Light.

"I think Kira must've inadvertently done something for her, which means he probably killed a criminal that had done something against her, _obviously_," she suggested. "That's all I can tell for _now_, though."

"That's good," Kira replied, moving his arm around her shoulders before returning his attention to the television screen.

'_Good. He's either __**accepting**__ me or __**acting**__ like we're getting close,_' Musiko thought, leaning into him slightly.

Light slightly grinned to himself, '_She thinks I've accepted her and that we're getting __**close**__ to each other. She's right where I want her._'

Behind them, Kuro growled to himself, watching the pair, Ryuk looking at him and chuckling before gulping down an apple.

* * *

"Aizawa, look," Matsuda said, Aizawa looking to the TV.

The screen showed the area just outside the doors to the Sakura TV building, a lone body lying in front.

"As you can see," a female news anchor reported, "someone has collapsed _just_ outside the door. _Again_, we're coming to you _live_ from the Sakura TV building."

"Ukita... _Damn it_. _Kira_ did this," Matsuda accused.

Aizawa shook with fury, turning around and heading to leave when L's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Mr. Aizawa... _Where_ are you going?"

"Where do you _think_?" Aizawa retorted. "I've gotta _go_ there!"

"You _can't_," L insisted, looking over his shoulder to the officer. "_Please_, think about this rationally..."

Aizawa shouted back at him, "What?! You just want me to _sit_ here and watch TV?!"

"If this _truly is_ the work of Kira, you'll just meet the same fate if you go there," the detective warned him.

"_You_ told us that Kira couldn't kill without a name!" the police officer accused, turning to face him. "So _how_ could this _happen_?!"

Matsuda walked over to L, saying, "The aliases and fake police IDs were _worthless_. What are we gonna _do_, L? You don't think Kira has all our _names_ already, _do you_?"

"That's a _definite_ possibility," L answered, eyes still on one of the screens. "However, if that's the case, you'd think it would be _easier_ for him to kill off the entire task force before making a move. Initially, I deduced that Kira needed both a _name_ and a _face_ to kill, but from what we've just seen, I'd say it's not entirely _impossible_ that Kira can kill with only a face."

"All I know for sure," he concluded, "is that Kira is either _in_ that TV station or he's somewhere close by in a place where he can watch everyone who enters the building. Perhaps, he's in--"

"If _Kira_ is in the area, then isn't that _why_ we should get down there?!" Aizawa demanded.

"For _all_ we know, he could have _just_ placed surveillance cameras in the area," L replied calmly. "If we rush down there unprepared, all of us will be killed."

Aizawa rushed forward, gripping the young detective's shoulder as he asked, "Wasn't it _you_ who said we'd have to risk our _lives_ to catch Kira?!"

"I _meant_ what I said, but... risking my life to _catch_ Kira and doing something I _know_ will cost me my life are two different things," he explained, shaking from the other man's grip as his hands tightly clenched his jeans.

"Oh, yeah?!" Aizawa shouted, then gasped as he noticed L's hand gripping his pant leg tightly.

"Please control yourself," L requested. "We've _lost_ Ukita... I _understand_ you wanna go there, but if something was to happen to you as well..."

* * *

Light looked over to Musiko as they still sat on the bed, the raven-haired woman looking up at him.

"What do you think about this?" he inquired.

"Well, the only way I could ever _fathom_ someone being as stupid as that Kira would be if it was a female who was not only lacking in the intelligence department to _begin_ with, but _completely_ in love with Kira, like my cards seem to be saying," she mused, turning her gaze to the screen as 'Kira' requested an answer from the police on whether or not they would work with _her_. "I mean, you can be _pathetically devoted_, but doing something like this without the _true_ Kira's permission is disgraceful..."

"She must have the Eyes and intends to use them to help Kira," assessed the woman. "And I find it _odd_ that a second notebook also wound up in Japan... _Mine_ was given to me while I was in _America_, so it's not as though Japan is a Death Note magnet, but it's still _quite_ the coincidence, unless this woman or girl brought it here from elsewhere to be closer to Kira."

"Regardless of all that, I'm sure she'll seek Kira out, which would be for the best if you either used her or got her to give you her Death Note and then got rid of her," Musiko suggested, looking up at Light. "Kira seems to be getting some _interesting_ fan girls..."

Light smirked, both pleased with her assessment and amused by her comment, turning his gaze back to the televison.


	14. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than my mom likes Tinkerbell. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** I always thought Light would be more upset about what the second Kira did with the broadcasts and killing, so I made him that way in my fic. I think it suited him better to freak out first and then realize it wasn't such a bad thing.

I hope that's suitable to those one, two or three people who read this.

Also, I'd like to thank **Illegitimi** for taking the time to pm me. It's nice to know you appreciate the work I'm doing.

**To Happycookbook:** Thanks for your review. I'm glad you like my OC so far and Kuro's background. I agree that it'll be interesting once Misa shows up, too. It should be fun to write.

**To ALL My Reviewers:** Thank you so much for reviewing since it makes writing this story worthwhile.

By the way, it's lucky chapter thirteen, folks! Behold the power of thirteen!

Odd that this is where Misa officially makes her debut, huh? Like a sign of the devil, man.

Also, I may be sorta sick, but I dragged myself through it to do this one for the people who like my fic and because I was also excited about introducing Misa to the story! I also figured that since I managed to get up and out of the house today, I owed it to my reviewers to work on the fic, so I hope you all like it.

**PS:** I added a small _detail_ to what the tapes from the second Kira contained to push Musiko's mind into a panic, proving that something _can_ get her worked up. But, of course, she calms herself and thinks rationally in the end, if _only_ to keep her in character.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen - Three of Diamonds (Honesty)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- A god of death has no obligation to completely explain how to use the note or rules which will apply to the human who owns it._

* * *

"A vehicle has just driven through the front doors of the station!" the female news anchor announced on the television in L's hotel room.

"Well," L began, watching the entrance to the building closely, "that's _one_ way to get into the building without being seen by Kira."

* * *

"Ah! We're _still_ outside Sakura TV," the news anchor reaffirmed as L and the others watched the screen intently. "As you can see, a police car has just arrived."

"So we're _not_ alone," Matsuda concluded. "There are _still_ other officers out there who are willing to stand _up_ to Kira."

"Mr. Aizawa," the dark-haired, young detective spoke up from his seat, catching the man's attention. "You know Deputy Director Kitamura's cell phone number, right?"

* * *

Mr. Kitamura's phone rang, the Deputy Director picking it up as he watched the broadcast of the entrance to the Sakura TV building.

"Aizawa," he answered quickly, assuming it to be the police officer on the other end of the line and admonishing him accordingly. "I _told_ you not to call me on this phone."

* * *

"This is L," the detective clarified to Mr. Kitamura. "There's something I need you to do for me."

He then began to explain, "There may be police officers who will _see_ this broadcast and feel moved to take action in the name of justice."

"If you don't take control of this situation _quickly_, there will be a _disaster_," the young man warned.

"But," Mr. Kitamura objected, "technically, we're not suppose to be _involved_ in this case."

The woman on television announced, "Two police officers have just collapsed on the sidewalk. I think we may be in danger; we're moving away from the scene."

After seeing what happened at the entrance to the Sakura TV building, Mr. Kitamura sighed in defeat, replying, "I understand, L."

"I see your point now," he reaffirmed. "Tell me what I should do."

Watari's phone suddenly went off, the elder man looking to see the caller's number.

"Detective Superintendent Yagami," he announced to L.

"Call him back immediately," L ordered, hand outstretched, "and give me the phone."

"Mr. Yagami," L said into the phone. "So _you're_ the one driving the police van."

Soichiro replied in affirmation, "That's right. I _couldn't_ just sit and watch."

"I've confiscated _all_ of the tapes," the Superintendent informed the detective. "I'm bringing them to you."

"But what about your condition?" L demanded, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"I'm feeling just fine," the Chief assured him. "To be honest with you, I don't think I've ever felt more alive."

* * *

"So what do you think I should do now?" Soichiro asked L from where he sat in a hallway at the Sakura TV building, an exit behind him.

"I'd say going out the front would be too dangerous," he recognized astutely, then suggested, "but I could always use the police van again."

* * *

"Please hold the line for a second," requested L, the detective holding up another phone and speaking into it. "Deputy Director Kitamura, it was Chief Yagami who just drove into the building. Are your preparations complete?"

"It's done, as you requested," Mr. Kitamura confirmed.

L then switched back to Soichiro's line.

"Mr. Yagami," he began, then issued his instructions to the older man. "Listen carefully. In exactly five minutes, I want you to come out the front entrance."

"You want me to exit through the _front_ entrance?" Soichiro questioned incredulously.

* * *

Exactly five minutes later, Soichiro went to the entrance to find a wall and various police officers with helmets on shielding the area.

The Chief looked on in amazement before his gaze turned to a car within them with a familiar face nearby, waiting to help him flee from the scene.

* * *

"There you have it," a male news anchor announced. "The police _refuse_ to cooperate with Kira. _Instead_, they are preparing to _fight_."

"_And_," he added, "as much as I fear for my _own_ life in saying so, _this is right_ and it _must_ be done. Kira has become a threat to our _very_ constitution and, as citizens, we _must_ fight back."

* * *

Sitting at his desk, Light pounded his fist into it, hand covering half his face.

His mind had continually poured over the situation, every thought merely leading him to become more enraged by the faux Kira's actions.

"Who does this woman think she is?" the young man voiced his thoughts, growling.

Musiko watched him closely from where she sat on the edge of his bed, legs crossed, the woman seeing the signs of madness through power in the young man's countenance. Wisely, she remained silent until the opportune moment.

"Who gave her the right to use my name for something... _like this_?" he questioned no one in particular.

"Light," began the dark-haired woman, taking her opportunity, "may I bring the _light_ to the end of your tunnel?"

His hand fell away from his face as he sat upright, swiveling in his chair to face her, though he looked skeptical about anything she had to say.

Musiko took the movement as a gesture to continue, lifting one hand, "While there _are_ negatives from this that I won't hide, there are some _advantages_ as well. You now know for certain who the police have decided to side with at this time, which would have been the same regardless of her actions. This woman only brought things with the police to a _climax_."

Lifting her other hand, she carried on, "And while her methods were not _choice_ for the _true_ Kira, she inadvertently tested the police for us... It seems there are others, not of the task force, who will _oppose_ Kira in extreme conditions. She tested your boundaries for you."

Bringing the two hands together in one fluid motion, Musiko both pooled her points together and held his ever running mind attentive to her words as she added, "Besides this valuable information about the police and people in general, we also know from my cards that this woman is _devoted_ to you. With a little work, she'd make a fine, _expendable_ pawn for your cause. _And_, you could always clear her actions from your name by making your _own_ tapes _or_, once you find her, having her set the record straight _herself_."

Both hands fell to rest on the bed at her sides as she concluded, satisfied she had his undivided attention, "There's really nothing to fret over because you have so much _control_ and this added element of _fear_ only separates those _for_ you and those _against_ you much more clearly now."

"_You always_ have control in the end," she asserted carefully, building upon the foundation of his already inflated ego to soothe his nerves, for Musiko understood that the most pleasurable place to stroke a man was his ego. "_Kira_ will _always_ be the one in control."

Light relaxed visibly to the woman's reassurance, contemplating her words silently as he looked off to the side.

Slowly, he began to smile, darkly chuckling to himself.

'_She's __**right**__,_' his thoughts succumbed, the brunette sneering at how right she really _was_. '_I now know more concerning the police and the general public, including what __**boundaries**__ Kira has. And clearing my name is __**simple**__ enough, just as she suggested._'

'_But, __**most importantly**__, she was correct in that __**I'm**__ the one in control,_' Light thought to himself in his arrogance. '_This false Kira is just a __**small**__ challenge and can possibly be __**useful**__ to me. There's really no reason to worry over this __**minor annoyance**__._'

Musiko gave her own dark smile as she watched the young man become lost in his thoughts, his expression confirming that the woman's tactful use of psychology was working in her favor.

'_It seems he's __**agreeing**__ with me according to that evil little grin,_' thought the dark-eyed woman, uncrossing her legs and crossing them in the opposite manner. '_It __**also**__ seems he doesn't realize I'm attempting to boost his ego slightly and __**downplay**__ the negative aspects of this situation with random and, in the long run, next to __**useless**__ positives..._'

She could hardly believe how easy it was for her to lead the young man right where she wanted him.

'_**And**__,_' added her thoughts,'_I don't believe he senses my subtle negative attitude towards this woman on the surface, __**but underneath**__... he's probably viewing her as __**nothing**__ but a __**pawn**__, even lower of worth than __**myself**__._'

'_Everything's in __**my**__ favor,_' the pair thought, each smiling darkly to themselves as their Shinigami watched silently.

* * *

In L's hotel suite, the door opened and Watari helped Soichiro Yagami into the room with the others, Matsuda and Aizawa looking over to them.

"Chief Yagami," said Matsuda, relieved to see him.

"Welcome _back_, Chief," Aizawa greeted him.

"Ryuuzaki," the Chief began as Watari helped him to remain standing, "I apologize for taking matters into my own hands. I have to admit, I got a _little_ bit carried away."

L walked over, Soichiro holding up a bag no doubt filled with the tapes 'Kira' had sent to Sakura TV.

"Here," said the older man, offering the bag to the dark-haired detective. "These are all of the tapes and an envelope - everything Kira had sent to the station is in here."

"I can't thank you enough," L returned gratefully, taking the proffered bag from the Superintendent.

The Chief simply groaned.

"I think I'd better rest for a minute," he admitted, Watari leading him to a seat.

Meanwhile, L examined the contents of the bag.

'_Mr. Yagami,_' the young detective thought, looking at one of the cassettes, "_this __**won't**__ go to waste..._'

Looking at the envelope, he read the postmark.

'_This postmark is from Osaka,_' noted the detective. '_But Kira can control his victims before they die, so he could have delivered it from Osaka without going there himself..._'

"Mr. Aizawa," L called, Aizawa walking over to him, the detective handing the officer the bag of tapes. "Can you _please_ take this to the crime lab right away?"

"I still have a couple of friends down there," Aizawa replied, then spoke resolutely. "I'll make sure they go over every _inch_ of this."

"That's good. Please do so," returned the raven-haired man. "While you're doing that, I'm going to watch these tapes to see if they can tell us anything."

Suddenly, L's phone rang, Nyoko's ring tone playing. He answered it quickly, vaguely praying she hadn't been shot, stabbed by glass or otherwise fallen down two flights of stairs again.

"Yes?"

"Are you with other people right now?" Musiko inquired from the other end. "If so, make it a private call."

L looked to the others, "I need to take this call. I'll be in my room, Watari."

The older man nodded as L retreated to his private room.

"What is it?" questioned the young man, sitting in a chair in his usual manner.

"I don't want to go over all the minor details, but Light _is_ Kira," she informed him confidently. "He confessed to me and thinks I'm on his side now. I have to wait a while to stabilize our mutual trust and then I'll attempt to record something akin to a _confession_."

"Where are you?"

"I'm in my hotel suite," returned the woman, knowing L would probably think she was stupid for not just going next door to his room. "I didn't want to come over; I wanted to be as _discreet_ as possible about this because letting the others know is a bad idea. And since _I'm_ the one risking my life like this, _I'm_ gonna get to decide who knows my information."

"I understand," L conceded easily. "Was the broadcast made by Kira?"

"Not the _true_ Kira, as I'm sure you're already suspecting," Musiko told the detective. "It's a second one and it's a female, according to my cards. The only other bit of information I know is that she's practically _in love_ with Kira even if she herself has yet to realize the feeling for what it is, _and_ regardless of the fact that they've never actually met.

"And I have an inkling that she's a blonde," she speculated through a smirk.

"What makes you say that?" questioned the detective, slightly confused by the strange suspicion.

"Did you _watch_ that broadcast? She's about as intelligent as a handicapped dodo," she quipped, snickering on her end of the line. "Also, Light was quite upset about her tapes, but I calmed him down with some psychological mumbo jumbo... He looks kind of _mental_ when he smiles evilly... He also likes to hold half his face in his hand, for some reason."

L bit down on his thumb, "I see. Can you come over now?"

Musiko hummed a moment before replying, "I guess so... Do you have some hot fries? I need a fix."

He sighed, but replied, "_Yes_, we have hot fries."

"_Whoo-hoo_!" she shouted into the phone, L holding his cell phone away from his ear.

"Later!" Musiko called out abruptly, the line going dead.

* * *

Musiko entered the room where everyone was in L's suite, Matsuda turning to see her, his big, brown eyes shining.

"Musiko!" he announced happily.

"Matsuda!" she called back, winking at him.

She then looking around, noticing L was missing.

"Where's L?" the woman inquired with a quirked brow.

"Um... I don't know," he answered honestly, looking around.

Watari then walked over, handing Musiko a bag of hot fries.

"Oooh, yes!" she cried with joy, hugging the bag tightly and petting it. "My _preciousss_..."

"Musiko," L diverted her attention from the bag of hot fries, so that she looked to find him standing behind her, hands in his pockets.

He then nodded for her to follow him, Musiko complying and waving goodbye to Matsuda.

She kept following, all the way into his private room, L sitting in a chair in his usual way and biting his thumb as he looked up at her.

"What _else_ can you tell me about Light Yagami?" he inquired with interest to know whatever he could of his suspect.

Going over to the bed, Nyoko sat on the edge of it, setting the hot fries down beside her.

"There's not much else to say at this point, other than educated guesses," she confessed, shrugging. "He's either _accepting_ me or _acting_ like he is to win my trust. Our relationship status is friends bordering on _more_ than friends, but only managing to get to friends with benefits, at least according to his body language."

The onyx-eyed detective took in the information silently a moment, eyes diverting from her form.

Once his gaze fell upon her again, he questioned, "Is that all you know?"

"Well, _yes_... It's only been a couple of _days_," she stressed, crossing her arms. "I can't work _miracles_."

"Yes," he replied in agreement. "You err more on the side of disasters."

"Ha. Very funny," Musiko retorted, unappreciative of his humor.

"Who was kidding?" he asked rather innocently.

Musiko was tempted to hit him with her hot fries bag but simply stuck her tongue out at him instead before taking her hot fries bag and retreating with her nose in the air with a feigned haughty attitude.

* * *

The next morning, L had finished watching all the tapes with Musiko.

'_**Pathetic**__,_' Musiko thought with disdain after viewing the tapes, sitting on the arm of L's chair.

The tapes supplied that this faux Kira not only wanted L to appear on television, but they also asserted that she would kill L regardless, something no one likely would have expected.

'_This woman is threatening __**L**__, so she's threatening __**me**__... But is she really __**capable**__ of killing L, even if he doesn't appear on TV like she's demanding?_' the woman's thoughts ran wildly. '_Why demand that he appear on television when she's asserting that she'll kill him __**anyway**__? If she knows who he __**is**__ somehow... I'll have to dispose of her as soon as possible, if only for __**L's**__ sake. But how do I __**find**__ her?_'

'_**No**__, think __**logically**__; __**don't**__ panic. What woman has __**seen**__ L and knows that he is, in fact, __**L**__?_ ' she asked herself, smirking and playing with her bottom lip. '_She has to be bluffing, __**or**__, if I think __**clearly**__, it's more like she's asserting the threat that she'll __**find**__ him and __**kill**__ him._'

'_Thinking __**this**__ way, I have __**plenty**__ of time to catch that little mouse,_' the raven-haired woman assured her agitated mind.'_And as for __**bait**__, Light just so happens to be the __**perfect**__ pawn to draw her out of the woodwork..._'

'_Catching Kiras is turning out to be like shooting fish in a __**barrel**__,_' the young woman quipped in the confines of her racing mind.

"Musiko?" L asked for the third time, waving a hand in front of her face.

She swatted his hand away with an annoyed countenance.

"What do you _want_? I was in _thinking_ mode," the raven-haired woman complained, pouting down at the detective.

"I was asking what you thought of these tapes," L tried once again, waiting for her opinion.

"She sounds like an idiot who's making a bluff as far as _killing_ you without a television appearance goes," Musiko expressed, shrugging. "_Or_, we should think of that part as more of a poorly-worded _challenge_ that she'll hunt you down and then get rid of you. And since Light Yagami is Kira, he's the _bait_ to draw her out... We don't even have to search for her _ourselves_; we just have to keep up with Light and who he meets. _Inevitably_, she'll turn up with him at _some_ point."

A knock then sounded on the door, L looking over his shoulder.

"Come in," he called, Matsuda, the Chief and the rest coming into the room.

"Well, what do you make of these?" Soichiro asked, gesturing to the cassette tapes.

"They were _definitely_ interesting," L answered the older man. "If the police had said '_yes_' and they _agreed_ to cooperate with Kira, tape number _three_ was supposed to be aired - tape _four_ if the answer was 'no'."

"Tape _three_ covers the terms of cooperation," he explained to the officers. "Put simply, he's requesting that we _broadcast_ the names of more criminals... He seems _particularly_ interested in those who have _assaulted_ others or those who have somehow _hurt_ or taken _advantage_ of the weak and defenseless."

"_Of course_, Kira _would_ play the role of judge in all of this," the young detective clarified. "_Furthermore_, as proof that the police are willing to cooperate, he wants police officials and L to appear on TV - to make a public announcement that we plan to cooperate with him."

"He _needs_ us to reveal our faces; that way, he can kill us if the police do anything suspicious," he explained to them. "In other words, he'll hold our _lives_ as insurance."

"I see," replied Soichiro. "So what about the content of the fourth video if we were to answer 'no'?"

"The wording was different, but he more or less says the same thing," L told him, staring at the fuzzy TV screen, hesitant to bring up the next point.

Regardless of his hesitance, he decided it best to go ahead and inform them of 'Kira's' additional threat.

"And, _most interestingly_, he insisted he would kill L _regardless_ of whether he appeared on television," added the detective lastly, looking up to the others.

"Does this mean he knows your _identity_, then?" Soichiro inquired logically with obvious concern in his soft tone.

"As Musiko has suggested," began the detective, briefly looking to the woman beside him before his gaze returned to the Chief, "it's most likely that the threat was a poorly-worded promise that he would _find_ L and kill him."

"_And_, Mr. Yagami, it should go without _saying_ that the answer to the demand of a televised appearance is "no". Please have someone take tape number four over to Sakura TV and authorize them to broadcast it."

Musiko, who was nodding off during the entire discussion, suddenly fell off her perch and landed on her ass, Matsuda stifling a laugh and moving to help her up.

"Thank you, Matsu," she spoke gratefully upon seeing no one else was going to offer assistance, the raven-haired woman standing up with his offered arm. "It takes a real _gentleman_ to help a fallen damsel these days."

"Oh, um... It was nothing," he assured her, rubbing the back of his head as he smiled nervously at her praise, Musiko slowly releasing his arm with a smile.

"L, I'm going to go to bed now," the ex-negotiator announced, facing the detective. "Is that alright with you?"

"Sleep in my room," he ordered. "It would be easier to have you in reach in case you're needed."

The woman blinked at first, wondering why it was apparently to hard to summon her from the next suite, regardless of how big the suites were. However, she pushed the thought aside and looked down him with annoyance.

She crossed her arms, "Like _hell_. I'm not sleeping in these clothes from yesterday..."

"I'll get a new set of clothes and a pair of pajamas and then come back over, alright?" she asked, conceding to the demand regardless.

"Why is your tone indicating annoyance?"

"_Because I'm annoyed_?" she asked as if he were stupid. "Geez, L, you're such an _idiot_ sometimes..."

With that, she left the room, going to her suite.

L rubbed the bridge of his nose.

'_Why does everything I say to her come out idiotic?_' he pondered silently. '_From the __**beginning**__, it's been this way between us..._'

* * *

_Nyoko, as many tomboys were wont to do, loved climbing trees and had done so on one day in particular. However, on this day, she had gotten stuck._

_"Why are you hanging from that tree?" Lawliet asked her as he walked over, standing underneath her._

_Her arms were crossed and she was frowning down at him, though the effect was somehow lost in her being upside down._

_"Why do you ask me stupid questions sometimes?" Nyoko asked in return, huffing in annoyance. "I obviously __**fell**__ and I'm __**stuck**__."_

_"I see," he replied simply, moving to the base of the tree and beginning his ascent._

_Once he crawled out on the branch she was hanging from, he unhooked her shoe from a small branch, standing carefully as he held her up by the ankle effortlessly._

_"__**Now**__, how do you suggest we realign you to the earth properly?" Lawliet questioned, Musiko only seeing his feet._

_"That's dumb question number __**two**__," the young girl quipped. "How __**else**__ is there to fix it than having me grab the branch and fall onto it? For a genius, you don't seem to think very __**fast**__ sometimes."_

_Lawliet frowned to himself as they carried out her plan._

_'__**I should have known that from the **_**start**_**,**__' he thought behind a small scowl. '__**Every time she's **_**with**_** me, my level of intelligence seems to **_**decrease**_** drastically.**__'_

_"__**Lawliet**__?" Musiko's soft voice asked, breaking him from his thoughts._

_"You know that when I __**insult**__ you, I do it in the most __**lovingly**__ way possible, __**right**__?" she asked with noticeable concern, frowning up at him from where she properly hung from the branch beneath his feet. "I mean, I don't really mean anything __**bad**__ by it... I'm just a very rude person by nature and my tongue gets ahead of my brain."_

_"__**Okay**__?" she asked with a stressed voice, obviously uncomfortable with the whole apologizing ordeal._

_"I know, Musiko," answered Lawliet, Musiko smiling before letting go of the branch and safely landing on her feet._

_'__**But **_**sometimes**_**,**__' he thought to himself as he began his descent from the tree, '__**I wonder if you realize that **_**you're**_** the reason I don't think quite so clearly.**__'_

* * *

"Ryuuzaki," Soichiro said as he entered the room where L, Matsuda and Aizawa were sitting. "I'm afraid it's as you thought. Several of our member countries have weighed in and it seems they are in _favor_ of having the _real_ L appear on TV."

Ryuuzaki took a sip of tea before replying, "I think that's the most _appropriate_ choice, given the options."

"Well, we still have three days before it happens," he concluded, setting down his cup. "Maybe we can find some countermeasure."

"After all _this_ it would really _annoy_ me," he began before taking a large bite of cake, then carrying on his thought, "if I'm killed by the first person to jump on the Kira bandwagon."

"Ryuuzaki, what do you _mean_ by that?" asked the Chief, startled by what his words suggested.

"That there's a _strong_ possibility that this Kira's a _fake_," replied the detective. "Musiko suggested it and I had suspected it beforehand as well."

Suddenly, he amended his first thought, "_No_, we should think of him more as a _second_ Kira."

The Chief gasped, "A _second_ Kira?"

"I-I don't understand," Aizawa admitted. "Why do you think there's a _copy cat_? How did you _come_ to that conclusion?"

"I looked at the victims he used for his predictions on tape number one," Ryuuzaki explained to the police officers patiently. "Their purpose was to prove to Sakura TV's staff that he is Kira... Both their names were only reported in tabloids and daytime talk shows, so they weren't exactly _hardened criminals_."

"The _real_ Kira has no need to prove himself using such insignificant criminals, but from the perspective of the _second_ Kira," the young man pointed out, eating the strawberry from his cake, "he'd want to make _absolutely certain_ that he didn't predict the death of a criminal who could be killed by the _real_ Kira first."

"Ryuuzaki. If you had to put a number on it, what's the probability of a second Kira?" the Chief inquired directly.

"This time, I'd say it's _more_ than seventy percent," Ryuuzaki answered the Superintendent, still savoring his delicious cake.

The men gasped at this revelation, Ryuuzaki adding, "I _really_ don't like the way he operates. It's not _like_ Kira."

"Not _like_ him?" Matsuda asked, clearly confused.

"In the past," the raven-haired detective began to explain, "he has traditionally _avoided_ killing innocent people, with the exception of those who were trying to _catch_ him."

"Anyway, if we capture _one_ Kira, _I_ think that will provide us with a lot of insight into how we can find the _other_ one," he concluded.

Ryuuzaki then looked to the Chief, "Mr. Yagami, I'd like your permission to ask your _son_ to cooperate with us on this investigation."

"If you want my son to join the task force, does this mean you no longer suspect him?" Soichiro asked hopefully.

"_Well_, I can't say that he's been _completely_ cleared," Ryuuzaki admitted, "but his deductive abilities would be _invaluable_ to us right now."

Soichiro lost his hopeful look, head bowing slightly.

'_So __**that's**__ what it means,_' the Chief thought sadly.

Looking up to Ryuuzaki, he replied, "If my son wants to cooperate with you, then I have no reason to prevent it."

"I appreciate that," the detective said, thumb to his lips.

"_However_," Ryuuzaki began, insisting, "please don't tell him that we think this _latest_ Kira might be a fake; I don't want him to know that yet. We want to make it appear to him that we're still chasing the _same_ Kira."

* * *

In a sunlit part of Japan, a young woman walked down the street, a Shinigami flying above her. It had purple hair and yellow eyes with black, cat-like pupils, its body like bones.

"Misa," it said to the blonde-haired woman in a feminine voice, "I gave that Death Note to _you_ so why not _use_ it for yourself?"

"I _am_ using it for myself," the woman replied insistently as her shadow followed along, "because I _believe_ in what Kira is doing."

"I want to know what kind of _person_ Kira is; I want to _meet_ him and _talk_ to him," her sweet, soft voice confided. "_That's_ the only reason I sent all of those videos to that TV station; I _had_ to find some way to make Kira _notice_ me."

"And I'd say _that_ probably got his attention, _don't you think_?" Misa asked with a giggle.

"It's a _dangerous_ game you're playing," her Shinigami warned. "There's a chance you could be _killed_. Do you understand?"

The woman with blonde hair practically skipped through the streets, all but concerned by her Shinigami's dire warning.

"It's alright," Misa assured the death god. "I'm sure that Kira is _kind_ to those with pure hearts."

"And if it came _down_ to that, I'm _still_ stronger than he is," she announced with an air of confidence, spinning around to face her Shinigami, her flowing pigtail of blonde hair moving slowly from her eyes to reveal their red power, "because _I_ have the Eyes."


	15. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Near likes toys. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait on this one. Like I said, the updates will be slower, but I'm still working away on them.

To make up for it, I'll tell you this now: There's going to be a _surprise_ when Misa gets officially introduced to the others which I've had in mind since the beginning of this fic. It isn't _too_ major, but it's just another neat and interesting addition to the plot. I just _know_ you'll love how it works out! Look forward to it!

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen - Seven of Spades (Humiliation)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- A god of death can extend his life by putting human names on the note, but humans cannot._

* * *

"Light, Ryuuzaki has decided that he'd like you to help with the investigation," Chief Soichiro Yagami informed his son over the phone. "If you're _still_ interested, then you need to come here right away."

"Okay, dad," Light replied before closing his phone.

'_**All along**__, I've been trying to find a way to get involved in the investigation,_' he thought to himself, '_but I __**never**__ thought they'd actually approach __**me**__... Now I'll have access to classified information about the case, which means I can learn __**more**__ about this other Kira... I need to figure out what this impostor is all about before someone else on the task force beats me to it._'

* * *

In L's hotel suite, Light met with the raven-haired detective, officially joining the investigation. Soichiro, Musiko and the rest of the task force stood nearby, watching the scene.

"Thank you, Light," L said, shaking the younger man's hand.

"Not at all," Light replied, then reminded them all. "After all, I want to catch Kira as much as _you_ do, Ryuuga."

"I'll have to ask that you call me Ryuuzaki here," Ryuuzaki requested, turning to face the other men who told Light their fake names.

Lastly, Musiko spoke up jokingly, "I'm _still_ Musiko Hanabi, assistant to Ryuuzaki."

"As Ryuuzaki requested, I will now be _your_ assistant as well," the raven-haired woman informed him with a smile. "Welcome to the task force."

She then bowed politely to her new co-boss.

"Thank you," replied the young brunette, bowing slightly in return.

He then looked to L, inquiring, "Perhaps I should call myself Light Asahi, like my father?"

"Yes. Please do," answered the detective in concurrence. "To keep things simple from this point on, I'll call you Light."

Musiko, satisfied that the welcome party was over, walked off to a seat, plopping down in it.

"Okay, let's get down to work," Ryuuzaki announced, walking past Light as he spoke to the younger man. "You can _start_ by looking over all the information we've collected. I'd also like you to examine these videos; they were sent to the TV station but were _never_ aired."

Light sat before a television, looking up at Ryuuzaki as the young detective explained how things worked in the task force.

"For security reasons, you're not permitted to take _notes_," the older man informed him, "and _all_ materials must remain here."

"I understand," Light replied.

"We will begin now," announced Ryuuzaki, Soichiro and the others watching, the Chief remembering the previous night.

* * *

_Ryuuzaki sat in his preferred seat, the other men on the task force sitting nearby._

_"Well then," the detective began, hands to his knees, "we need to ask Light Yagami to assist us, however, we __**cannot tell**__ him that we're considering the possibility of a __**second**__ Kira."_

_Matsuda leaned forward, asking, "Are you serious? ...But wouldn't that make working together a bit difficult?"_

_"He's right," Aizawa commented. "Why even __**bother**__ asking him to work with us?"_

_"Well, I __**didn't**__ mean indefinitely," Ryuuzaki clarified, holding up the first of the cassettes Kira had sent to the TV station. "I'm curious to see what his impression of these __**tapes**__ will be, prior to knowing ours."_

_"Light's deductive reasoning is __**really**__ quite incredible," he went on to say of the younger man. "He __**may suspect**__ that these tapes are the work of a second Kira - an impostor or copy cat imitating the original."_

_"But the basis for the second Kira theory is that the victims of these __**recent**__ killings were minor criminals who __**don't**__ fit the normal profile," Matsuda pointed out. "__**Without**__ hearing our explanation, how would Light ever __**know**__ that?"_

_"Yes, but there's __**more**__ to it than __**that**__," Ryuuzaki explained to the other task force members. "The suspect that we've been pursuing up until now has needed both a name __**and**__ a face to kill his victims. But there is something __**different**__ happening here."_

_"Recall that Mr. Ukita was killed the __**moment**__ he arrived at the station," he reminded them. "And __**this**__ Kira demanded only that I appear on __**TV**__, but made __**no**__ request for my name. This __**implies**__ that the second Kira only needs to see a person's __**face**__ to kill them."_

_He then set the cassette down on the table before him, concluding his thoughts, "So, I'll ask Light to look over __**all**__ of our information as well as our video __**evidence**__. __**If**__ he comes to the conclusion that there __**could**__ be a second suspect, then he'd be almost __**completely**__ cleared of suspicion in this case."_

_"But how will __**that**__ prove anything?" Soichiro questioned, confusion in his tone._

_"Logically, if he's __**really**__ Kira, he'll want me __**dead**__ seeing as I'm the one leading the investigation against him right now," the raven-haired detective explained, looking to Mr. Yagami. "And the way things are __**going**__, if I __**comply**__ with this new subject's demands and appear on TV in three days, there's a __**very**__ good chance I __**will**__ die... I can't see the __**real**__ Kira jeopardizing such an __**easy**__ opportunity to get rid of me."_

_"Okay, but are you suggesting that if my son does __**not**__ come to the same conclusion, there's an even __**greater**__ chance that he is guilty?" questioned the Chief._

_"__**No**__," Ryuuzaki answered his inquiry. "In __**that**__ case, there will __**still**__ only be a five percent chance. We'll inform him that we are investigating the possibility of a copy cat and have him __**cooperate**__ with us as planned."_

* * *

'_This video is __**so**__ mediocre,_' Light thought as he watched one of the tapes. '_It's making me __**sick**__ to my __**stomach**__... I don't know; maybe it's because I'm the __**real**__ one, but this is a __**complete**__ disgrace to __**everything**__ Kira stands for._'

'_Something's not __**right**__ here,_' he concluded in his thoughts, looking to the men of the task force from the corner of his eye. '_Seems __**unusual**__ that no one bothered to __**explain**__ this video to me. It's not __**like**__ them._'

'_Well, in __**any**__ case, I'd be __**stupid**__ to comment on it,_' he reasoned. '_It's __**probably**__ best if I say nothing; If I just leave it alone, L dies._'

Ryuuzaki then walked over, inquiring, "So, what do you make of this, Light? Have you come to any conclusions?"

As Ryuuzaki questioned Light, Musiko watched, arms crossed; she had discussed L's plan with him and L had told her that regardless of it, he believed her when she confided that Light had confessed to her of being Kira. He had then went on to say to her that his plan would allow the other task force members to believe he still had no idea of Kira's true identity and that it would look suspicious if he didn't do as he would had she not informed him that Light was Kira.

Still, Musiko couldn't help but wonder if the detective didn't believe her. After all, if L couldn't trust her completely enough that he would have to talk to her one-on-one like the other men to see if she was Kira, how could she possibly trust _him_ completely either?

And, regardless of that, Musiko also worried over how Light would answer this test. If he didn't say that he suspected there was another Kira, things would fall in her favor. But if he suggested there was a second Kira, he would look less suspicious than he should.

Light looked up at Ryuuzaki.

'_**Damn**__, it's a test!_' the young brunette cursed to himself, gripping the arm of his chair tightly as he stood.

"It's hard to say for sure, but there might be another person out there with Kira's power," he finally answered the detective.

"With Kira's power?" repeated Light's father. "But what do you _mean_ by that, Light?"

Light pointed his thumb to the television behind him as he replied, "At the _very_ least, I'd say this tape was _not_ created by the Kira we're familiar with... It's _extremely_ out of character for him to use these kinds of victims for his killings. And since we've _established_ that he needs a name and face to kill, it makes you wonder how he was able to kill those two officers and detective right outside the television station like that."

"It-It's the same," Aizawa marveled, astonished by Light's deduction.

"That's... almost _exactly_ how L-- I mean Ryuuzaki said it," added Matsuda.

'_That was __**incredible**__, Light,_' Soichiro thought proudly. '_Now any __**doubts**__ about you should be resolved._'

Musiko looked away from the scene, '_**Damn**__ it, Light. If L's trust in me wasn't up to par __**before**__, you've certainly done me no favors __**now**__._'

"I think you're _exactly_ right about that," Ryuuzaki finally stated, supporting the younger man's conclusion. "We _also_ believe that this is the work of a second Kira."

"I _knew_ it," the brunette man announced. "So you knew about this all along, Ryuuga-- sorry, Ryuuzaki-- which means this was just another one of your _tests_."

"It wasn't my _intention_ to test you," the detective returned. "The truth is, if I was the only one who thought there _was_ a second Kira, it wouldn't be too convincing."

Musiko smirked to herself from her seat nearby the others, '_You once told me you chose to never __**lie**__, L. __**Apparently**__, you can sink down low just like the rest of us... Where have your __**boundaries**__ gone, I wonder?_'

'_It's not as if I haven't __**realized**__ by now that you lie a lot, L, __**but**__..._' the woman's thoughts trailed off bitterly as her smirk turned to a scowl.

"But the fact that we both came to the _same_ conclusion makes the theory _that_ much more believable," Ryuuzaki added to his earlier statement.

Musiko glared at nothing in particular; Light had said everything Ryuuzaki would want to hear and made it an obvious take on what the detective would have said himself. It was like hearing Ryuuzaki's thoughts being regurgitated in a new form. The others were impressed, but she was far from it.

As for Ryuuzaki, he had lied in a next to useless manner, which was the final straw as far as Musiko was concerned. If her opinions were to be ignored needlessly, she might as well tell him what she thought about that.

Both of them had their own sort of god complex and both of them needed to have their ego deflated. Who better than a woman to do just that?

She then laughed aloud, standing from her seat as all eyes turned to her.

"This is like a cosmic joke meant only for _me_ to know," she stated, uncrossing her arms and opening her closed eyes as she turned to face the others. "The problem is, it's gotten too _stupid_ for me to sit and watch."

Hand to her hips, she laughed lightly.

"First that classic answer from Light, now this classic reply from Ryuuzaki," she mused, gesturing to each where appropriate with her free hand. "Pardon me, but I thought there had to be a _cat_ when playing cat and mouse."

'_What is she __**doing**__?_' Ryuuzaki pondered silently, eyes narrowed at her.

Musiko caught his glare, returning it with ten times the power.

"Stop lying. You once told me you were above it, so stop stooping down to that level for _one god damn time_ out of a _hundred_. You don't _have_ to lie this time; _I_ said to you _specifically_ that there was a second Kira based on my own reasoning, not _just_ my cards, so there's no reason to have Light think no one else came to your conclusion," she admonished in her fiery anger. "Your lie was both _insulting_ and _senseless_. Congratulations on losing a quarter of my respect for you."

Ryuuzaki's eyes were now wide, Light looking over to him.

"You were lying?" Light asked.

"As for _you_," Musiko called their attention, looking at Light. "Your acting is bad; I suggest you take lessons."

With those words said, she picked up her purse and headed for the door, looking over her shoulder to them as her hand rested on the doorknob.

"When you boys come down from your _god complexes_, I'll be in my room."

She then left, leaving behind five sets of eyes staring after her, some surprised, one ashamed and one not so happy.

Finally, Ryuuzaki looked away from the door, eyes resting on Light Yagami.

"You were _acting_?" he inquired with interest, not quite sure what Musiko had been inferring as there was never any clear way to know how the woman's thoughts ran.

Light returned his gaze.

'_What do I __**say**__?_' he asked himself hurriedly, thinking it over as briefly as possible. '_If I __**deny**__ her accusation, it won't be believable and I'll be disagreeing with the __**professional opinion**__ of someone who __**mastered in psychology**__. But if I __**agree**__ with her analysis, I won't look as innocent of being Kira..._'

'_**Damn**__ that woman!_' his mind cursed bitterly.

Light held his hands up in a shrug, gesture admitting defeat.

"She got me," he answered, then explained carefully. "I was saying _exactly_ what I thought Ryuuzaki would say and it was an _obvious_ performance to someone with her expert knowledge of psychology... But I _do_ believe what I said."

"I see," replied the detective, hands buried in his pockets.

"Why did you lie?" Light asked, turning the spotlight onto _Ryuuzaki's_ inadequacies.

The detective reached up, rubbing the back of his head.

"It was more believable if I _disregarded_ her opinion, to be honest," he answered, hand returning to his pocket. "It seems I owe Musiko an apology."

"_Regardless_," he quickly changed the subject, returning to the matter at hand, "we must _first_ focus on stopping this copy cat... From what we've _seen_, he sympathizes with the _real_ Kira, but clearly _lacks_ his sophistication... I think he might even be willing to _obey_ the original."

"If so, we could lure him into a trap by sending our _own_ message from the _real_ Kira," he deduced.

"I guess I shouldn't be _surprised_," Light said, "but I agree with what you're suggesting."

"Oh, and Light," Ryuuzaki began, gaining his attention, "I would like _you_ to play the part of the real Kira."

Light's eyes went wide, "Huh? _Me_ as _Kira_?"

"Yes. You're the only one I can think of who'd be able to pull something like this off," replied the detective. "At _any_ rate, do you think you could script a message _from_ Kira in time for it to be aired on this evening's national news?"

Behind Light, Ryuk chuckled at the interesting turn of events.

'_**Damn**__ him,_' Light cursed to himself. '_He must have been planning this from the beginning; it's the __**only**__ reason I'm here._'

* * *

"Ryuuzaki," Light spoke up, catching the detective's attention. "Does this look okay?"

He then gave Ryuuzaki his Kira script, adding, "I think I managed to make it believable."

"Hmm... I think you've done an _excellent_ job with this," Ryuuzaki praised. "_However_, if we don't _omit_ the part that says 'you're free to kill L', then _I'm_ gonna end up _dead_."

Light laughed, "Uh, _sorry_. I guess I got carried away playing the part. I figured if I was him, I'd probably _demand_ that you be killed."

"I was _improvising_," he concluded, hands behind his head as he leaned back in his chair. "Feel free to change it to whatever you like."

"Sounds good," the raven-haired detective replied, reviewing the script once more.

* * *

In her hotel room, Musiko was watching TV when there was a knock at her door. Hopping up from her couch, she went to it, looking through the eye hole to see Light Yagami standing with his hands in his pockets, looking down the hallway. Unlocking the door and chain, she let him in, leading him to the room she'd previously been in.

"Let me _guess_," she began, back to him as she turned off her TV, "you came here to admonish me for my outburst."

"You're very perceptive," Light replied with anger hardly concealed, hands slipping from his pockets as he crossed his arms.

"Well, you can save your breath because I will _not_ be sorry about calling out your pathetic acting skills," Musiko asserted, facing him and crossing her arms defiantly.

"Whose side are you _on_?!" he demanded loudly, finally losing his composure. "You _humiliated_ me in front of the _task force_!"

She shouted back at him, "_I_ didn't humiliate you; you did a fine job of that _yourself_!"

Before he knew what he was doing, his hand lifted, Light striking her cheek hard, the force of the hit turning Musiko's head to the side.

Slowly, she reached up to her cheek, turning her head to face him. Surprise was clearly written in her eyes as well as his.

"Musiko, I--" he began, but someone gripped his shoulder, throwing his back into the nearby wall.

L stood with a fist raised, aimed at Light's face as he held the young man off the ground by his shirt collar.

Musiko watched in shock, not having realized L's presence in the room until it was too late to intercept him, her wide eyes staring at the detective.

"_L_," she said softly, slowly recovering from her shock as her hand fell from her cheek.

"L!" the woman shouted hurriedly, the raven-haired man looking over his shoulder slightly to her. "Let him go. He didn't mean to hit me; he just lost control for a moment."

"Now, _let him go_," demanded the ex-negotiator, patiently waiting for him to come to his senses.

Face inches from Light's as he looked back to the young man, L warned darkly, "If you _ever_ strike Musiko again, I will _personally_ see to it that both your arms are broken."

"That's _enough_, L," Musiko spoke firmly, frustrated with the situation, but also surprised with his threat.

L let go of Light, moving to stand between his suspect and the raven-haired woman.

"_Leave_," he ordered the younger man, onyx eyes watching Light Yagami closely.

Light adjusted his clothing, slowly walking past them and leaving the room, the front door shutting behind him softly on his way out.

Turning around, L found Musiko at the large window in the room, holding her cheek and staring at her reflection.

Her hand falling away, she inquired, "Why are you in my hotel room, L?"

"I came to _apologize_," he answered simply, hands moving deep into his pockets. "I let myself in with my extra key when I heard you shout."

"I see," Musiko muttered, watching his reflection in the window.

"I apologize for... needlessly lying and my disregard of your feelings," the young man apologized awkwardly, hand raised and rubbing the back of his head.

Apologies weren't one of his strong points.

Musiko turned to face him, expression blank, "Thank you... and I think you should leave now."

He stood awkwardly a moment before nodding to her request, turning and exiting her suite, closing the door softly behind him.

Musiko touched her red cheek lightly as she stared after the detective.

"Mistress," Kuro spoke up, moving to her side.

The shorter woman looked up into his curious eyes.

He inquired, unable to understand her prior actions, "Why did you protect the one called Light?"

Her gaze turned back to the door, her hand falling to her side, "If I _hadn't_, it would ruin _everything_... Light wouldn't _forgive_ me if I simply allowed L to harm him in my defense."

The Shinigami thought over her words, wolfen tail drooping.

"If that boy raises his hand to you _again_," spoke Kuro in a low tone, "I will kill him _myself_, _regardless_ of your wishes."

"_What_?" she mumbled breathlessly, gaze quickly falling on her Shinigami.

Her teeth ground in frustration as she hissed, ""You _can't_ just kill him. That could ruin _all_ of my plans."

"Do you _want_ to ruin my life, Kuro?" the woman demanded angrily.

The death god turned his head, looking out the window, "It isn't much of a life that goes willingly undefended from harm..."

He walked off to the view of the city, muttering to himself, "To allow him to harm you would ruin _my_ plans..."

"_Your_ plans?" she repeated, bewildered. "And what _are_ your plans, Kuro?"

His red eyes turned to the reflection of her back as he replied, "My plans are my own... When the time is right, you will know them."

With that said, he turned around, "Realize I must _protect_ you until that time."

The woman sighed, helpless to deter him; how could she _possibly_ stop a Shinigami from doing as it pleased?

"Fine; god help me if the consequence is my _death_," returned Nyoko before marching off to her bedroom and leaving the Shinigami to himself.

Kuro simply turned to the window, muttering, "You will understand if you pass my test..."

* * *

"And _now_, a shocking announcement," a male news anchor announced on the evening news. "In response to the frightening Kira video aired on Sakura TV only a _few_ days ago, an anonymous individual has contacted us, claiming to be the _real_ Kira."

"In short, he has demanded of this network, as well as several others, that we air the message you are _now_ about to see. I would also like to mention that the NPA has granted us permission to air this video," the man explained to the audience. "Is this the _real_ Kira? No one knows for sure, but we can only hope this video will provide us with some _much_ needed answers."

* * *

A yellow background with white sparkles appeared on Misa's TV screen, the word "Kira" in fancy, red font.

"I am Kira," a masked voice announced.

"It worked!" Misa shouted excitedly, watching the broadcast with her Shinigami. "I _knew_ he'd answer me!"

"The _true_ Kira," the voice declared. "The one who was broadcast on Sakura TV several days ago, is a _pretender_ - a _fake_. The _purpose_ of this message is to communicate my will to this... _impostor_."

"I have chosen to be lenient with him for the time being _only_ because I believe he wishes to _cooperate_ with me in the creation of a new world," explained the voice of both the true and invented Kira. "But I want to make it _absolutely clear_ that the taking of innocent lives is _against_ my will. If this person _claiming_ to be me is truly sympathetic to my cause and wishes to be of some _help_, I ask _two_ things of him - that he refrain from killing _aimlessly_ and that he _agree_ to abide by my basic principles."

"_Yaaay_!" Misa squealed in her delight, crawling to the foot of her bed and digging around for something. "Now _where_ is that camcorder?"

"What are you planning to do?" asked her Shinigami, watching the young woman.

"Uh, _hello_? Do you _really_ need to ask?" the second Kira questioned rhetorically before explaining her intent to the death god. "I'm going to reply to him, of course!"

* * *

The next night, Musiko was with Light in his room, playing a video game with the young man.

The pair had reconciled easily, both parties apologizing politely before they put the incident behind them, continuing their game between one another seamlessly.

"For a _girl_, you're not that bad at video games," Light gave a backhanded compliment to the older woman, though he truly _was_ impressed with her skill.

"Welcome to the twenty-first century, Light," Musiko retorted with a laugh, deciding not to snap at his comment now that they were on friendly ground. "Women can do a _lot_ of the things men can do."

Light laughed a little, asking, "You're not a _feminist_, are you?"

She playfully hit him upside the head as she laughed at the mere suggestion.

"Oh, _god_, no," she answered with obvious distant to the notion. "Feminists are almost as bad as tree-huggers. I can _roar_, but that doesn't mean I have to do so on a regular basis."

He laughed at her comment; satisfied to know she wasn't that kind of woman.

'_The more I get to __**know**__ Musiko, the more I want to keep her around,_' Light thought with a genuine smile - a rarity since he'd become the infamous Kira - the young man feeling as though she was becoming a good friend, regardless of his initial idea to use her as a mere pawn and her obvious attachment to the detective, L. '_She's not quite __**like**__ any other girl I've ever met._'

"So, I know Kira wants to kill L and everything," Musiko began, smashing buttons expertly on her controller, "but is there any way to _avoid_ that?

"He was my first real friend," the woman explained, "so he's kind of _special_ to me."

"I don't see how Kira could _avoid_ getting rid of L," Light replied quite honestly, slightly sympathizing with her regardless of his status as Kira. "The only way would be for L to stop trying to _catch_ Kira and, _realistically_, that's unlikely."

"Well, since I know the betterment of the _world_ comes first, I'll understand if Kira has to kill him," she admitted to the young man beside her. "I won't be so _selfish_ as to try to save L from his inevitable death, _however_, I'll try to see if I can somehow convince L to stop going after Kira, even if it's a long shot... I have to at least _try_."

Light looked over to her as she won the fighting game they were playing.

"I understand," he allowed in his sympathy of her plight, putting down his controller.

'_Even if I like her as only a __**friend**__, I __**still**__ have to keep her satisfied by staying __**close**__ to her,_' he reasoned to himself, believing from her physical and verbal clues that she, in fact, loved him.

"What are you going to do about this _false_ Kira?" she suddenly asked with interest, looking over to him. "I know she'll _definitely_ reply to the message you sent, but I doubt anything she says will _help_ you."

"It depends on what she says," he replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet.

He then took something out, placing a piece of the Death Note to her hand moments later.

Suddenly, Musiko saw Ryuk in the corner of the room.

"So _that's_ what Ryuk looks like," she observed, looking the Shinigami up and down. "He's a lot less reptilian and wolfen than my _Kuro_."

"Huh?" asked Ryuk, pointing to himself. "You can _see_ me?"

"Nice observation," the woman remarked, sticking her tongue out at the death god as Light laughed.

* * *

Several days later, Watari contacted Ryuuzaki via his computer in his hotel where Matsuda, Soichiro, Aizawa, Light and Musiko were gathered with him.

"Ryuuzaki," the elder man said, "we have a reply from the second Kira."

"What?" the Chief asked, turning to face the computer.

Matsuda chimed in as well, asking, "_Really_?"

"I'll be bringing over the envelope and tape that we _received_, but in the meantime, I'm streaming a copy of the video so you can view it on your end," Watari informed them, the task force moving in front of the computer.

Musiko, who was at the back of the group, had to stand on the tips of her toes to see the screen, huffing with annoyance at the fact that everyone she had to hang around was always taller than her.

The screen then turned to white with the word "Kira" in black, a masked voice speaking.

"Kira, _thank you_ for your reply," the voice said gratefully. "_Please_ do not worry; I will follow orders and _do_ as you say."

'_"I will do as you say", huh?_' Light mocked with a glare to the screen. '_Musiko was __**right**__; __**this**__ woman's going to be __**no**__ help at all. If this fake had any idea what my wishes were, she'd __**insist**__ that L appear on TV and then __**kill**__ him anyway._ '

'_How could you __**fall**__ for something like this?_' the young man asked the other Kira incredulously in his thoughts. '_**Damn**__ it._'

Musiko, on the other hand, was relieved.

'_Oh, thank __**god**__... I don't know what I would have done if she'd demanded L make a TV appearance,_' her mind whispered with gratitude.

"I _really_ want to meet you," the second Kira went on to express. "...I don't think you have the Eyes... but you _don't_ have to worry; I would _never_ try to kill you. That's a promise."

'_What the hell is she __**thinking**__, talking about __**Shinigami Eyes**__ in a __**public message**__ like this?_' Light wondered, eyes wide as he stared at the screen.

Musiko ground her teeth, refraining from beating the shit out of whatever was closest to her, which just so happened to be Light Yagami.

'_That little __**bitch**__ should learn to keep her __**mouth**__ shut,_' the ex-negotiator growled in her thoughts. '_How __**stupid**__ can she possibly __**be**__?_'

"What's this 'having the eyes' supposed to mean?" Aizawa asked what most of the task force was pondering. "Is it a code?"

"Please tell me how I can meet you without the police knowing," the voice requested. "You'll think of something... And when we meet, we can confirm our identities by showing our Shinigami to each other."

"Shinigami?" asked Aizawa and Matsuda in unison.

Musiko suppressed her feral growl, '_You fucking __**moron**__! I can't __**wait**__ to meet you so I can put you in your place._'

Light stared back at the screen, worriedly thinking, '_She's a __**liability**__! If I don't do __**something**__ about her __**quickly**__--_"

Suddenly, L let out an unholy screech, hands thrown into the air.

Musiko, who happened to be standing behind him and to the side of the armchair, quirked a brow at the freaked out detective, his chair falling over.

"Ryuuzaki!" called Aizawa, rushing over to the fallen man. "Are you alright?"

"Ow! My _foot_!" Musiko complained, tugging her foot out from under Ryuuzaki's fallen chair. "_Talk_ about being _melodramatic_."

"Shinigami... Am I supposed to _believe_ that... that Shinigami actually _exist_?" Ryuuzaki questioned in disbelief, onyx eyes wide.

"That's impossible!" Matsuda announced most helpfully.

"_Obviously_, they don't exist," retorted Aizawa.

Light added, "Yes, that's right, Ryuuzaki... _Listen_ to yourself; _of course_ Shinigami don't exist."

"Shinigami are _folk tales_ - nothing _more_," Musiko said in a soothing tone. "Now get off the floor; it's _very_ unbecoming."

Ryuuzaki looked back to them, "You're probably right, but I remember that Kira had those prisoners _write_ something suggesting the existence of Shinigami."

"So, based on that fact, perhaps we're dealing with the _same_ person after all," Soichiro suggested. "That would _definitely_ explain why we're hearing the same words."

"I don't _think_ so because... if this was the same person... it's highly _unlikely_ he would have responded to our video in the first place," reasoned Soichiro's son. "And why would he agree to let L _live_ after going to _all_ the trouble of getting him to appear on TV? The _real_ Kira wants him dead, so... it doesn't make sense."

"Then maybe there's some other connection between the _real_ one and this _new_ guy," Aizawa spoke up, offering his ideas. "They could have already met and decided to use the word 'Shinigami' as a way to _confuse_ us."

"No. I'd say that's unlikely," Ryuuzaki replied, Musiko helping him to stand as he set his chair upright. "It's as Light says; if the two Kiras _were_ connected, I don't think the impostor would be so _willing_ to give up on his plan to kill me."

Now sitting once more, he continued, "All of this suggests to me that the copy cat has his _own_ agenda and is acting independently of the first... I believe his _actual_ motivation is to meet the original."

"I _think_ you're right," Light concurred. "He's acting out of an interest in Kira."

Crossing his arms, he continued his thoughts, "The word 'Shinigami' could very well be some reference to their killing power... Saying 'we can confirm our identities by showing our Shinigami to each other' _probably_ means that they confirm their identities by somehow demonstrating their ability to _kill_."

"That seems logical to _me_," Musiko agreed helpfully with his assessment.

"Yes, that's it," concluded Ryuuzaki in agreement. "Based on their messages, we can _assume_ that the word 'Shinigami' must hold some _other_ meaning that only the _real_ Kira and the _second_ Kira are aware of. Now, we just need to convince this _copy cat_ to tell us what that is."

"So will you respond and _force_ him to be more specific?" Light inquired carefully. "We have to be careful how we _handle_ this; we _can't_ make it too obvious that we're asking, otherwise he'll _realize_ we're not Kira."

"No. From now _on_, it's best that we leave it up to the two Kiras," the raven-haired detective deduced.

Aizawa asked, "What do you mean?"

"I _imagine_ that the second Kira is probably quite satisfied with the current situation now that he's received a televised response," Ryuuzaki explained. "He sent a message to _get_ Kira's attention and as far as _he_ knows, he now _has_ it. _Also_, there's that _word_ he used - one that only the _two_ of them would understand."

"We'll arrange to have this reply broadcast _today_ on Sakura's six o'clock news," he then announced. "_Naturally_, this would be of _interest_ to Kira and he'll be following this exchange between the _copy cat_ and the one we have _invented_."

"Now, if I were Kira _himself_, my priority would be to _prevent_ this impostor from coming into contact with the police," Ryuuzaki reasoned. "This is _good_ for us... because it means that the _real_ Kira may feel pressured to _respond_ this time."

"Okay," Aizawa said. "But let's say that he _doesn't_ respond; _then_ what do we do?"

"Yes. I've been _thinking_ about what the second Kira might do if he gets no response," the detective replied, then issued his opinion. "For one, he might reveal more information that he knows Kira wants kept secret to pressure him into a meeting. Of course, _that_ would make Kira nervous."

"It could be interesting," he said with a smile. "And what would be _more_ interesting... is if _Kira_ sends a message of his _own_ to prevent this from happening. _Ideally_, this could provide us with the physical evidence we'll need to build a case against him."

"In the meantime," he ordered, "let's gather all the information we _can_ on this copy cat."


	16. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than pandas like bamboo. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** No, the surprise isn't up yet, but this is a nice chapter. I liked writing it, too. Maybe the surprise will be in the next chapter. (I only have this plotted out in my head, so I'm not certain which chapters things occur on.) Enjoy and review!

_Please_ review, even if it's just to say you hate me, my fic and I should die. I've recently found that reviews keep me motivated, like they probably do for many authors.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen - Six of Clubs (Innocence)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- A person can shorten his or her own life by using the note._

* * *

After a long day, Misa fell backward onto her bed, legs hanging off the side, as her Shinigami stood before her.

"Ahh, I'm _so_ tired," the blonde complained. "That shoot went on _forever_. Modeling takes a lot of energy."

"Hey, Rem," she said to her Shinigami as she sat up. "Can I _ask_ you something?"

"What is it?" Rem asked.

Misa answered, "_Each_ Shinigami has to have _one_ Death Note of their own. For a Shinigami to give a notebook to a human, he needs to have _two_. Ryuk could give a Death Note to Kira because he somehow found a way to sneak an extra one past the Shinigami King?"

"Right," agreed Rem, the Shinigami fairly certain where this conversation was leading.

"What about you?" the blonde-haired woman asked.

"The Shinigami King isn't someone who's easily fooled," Rem explained to her. "It doesn't happen often."

"Oh. Then how did I get _mine_?" questioned the second Kira.

"Let's just say that it has a lot to do with the fact that I am one of the few in the Shinigami realm who _knows_ how to _kill_ another of my kind," the Shinigami replied vaguely. "That's how I ended up with two."

"Ohhh. I _think_ I get it," Misa said, promulgating her assumption. "_You_ killed a Shinigami and then you gave his notebook to me, right?"

Rem clarified, "It's not like that. I wasn't the one who killed him. I just happened to be around when he died."

Misa stood from her bed, getting her Death Note before sitting back down on her bed on her knees.

"_So_, how do you kill a Shinigami?" the model questioned her Shinigami, holding the notebook before her. "I _have_ to know."

"Well?" she asked, watching Rem expectantly.

"Never repeat this to _anyone_," the Shinigami ordered, beginning to explain. "I learned the only way to kill a Shinigami... is to make them fall in love with a human."

Misa's breath cut short, her eyes sparkling at this revelation.

"What a _beautiful_ way to kill," she finally said in awe.

"There once was a Shinigami named Jealous who spent _all_ of his time watching over a certain human girl," Rem began her story. "Jealous wanted nothing _more_ than to look at her as she went about her daily life."

* * *

_Jealous sat before an observation hole in the Shinigami realm, watching the woman whom he was in love with. Behind where he sat, Rem stood, watching the human as well._

_"It's today, isn't it?" asked Rem. "Her last day alive."_

_"She looks __**so full**__ of life," Jealous replied, staring sadly at the image of the woman. "I wonder why today. It's... it's just not fair."_

_Rem crouched down, also wanting to find out how the woman was going to die, so she stayed with him._

* * *

_It was nighttime and the woman was walking alone, no one else around. And then, a man came out from the shadows, a butcher knife in hand. He was __**clearly**__ infatuated with the girl._

_"I love you more than anyone else in the world!" he declared madly. "I'm always watching you! I want to protect you __**forever**__!"_

_The woman had never met the man before, so she turned him down._

_"Then... if... __**I**__ can't have you," he began, gripping the knife with both hands, "I'll kill us __**both**__!"_

_The man then lunged the knife at the woman, barely missing her as he slashed wildly._

* * *

_In the Shinigami realm, Jealous opened his Death Note._

_"Wait! Stop it! What are you doing?!" Rem shouted._

_Thoughtlessly, Jealous did something which Shinigami must __**never**__ do; he used his Death Note to __**kill**__ the man instantly and therefore save the girl's life. However, because Shinigami exist only to shorten and take human lives and are not permitted to undo that which has been fated, Jealous melted and cracked away into a substance that was neither sand nor rust, disappearing forever, his Death Note the only remainder of his existence._

_He died because he had loved a human and thus saved her life._

* * *

"The rest of his lifespan was added to hers," Rem finished her tale, watching the blonde girl. "So not only had he saved _her_ life, he'd accidentally extended it well _beyond_ its natural end."

Misa looked up to her Shinigami, "So if he'd never fallen in love with this girl, he'd probably still be alive today, wouldn't he?"

"That's right."

Looking down, the girl clutched the notebook to her.

"I had no _idea_," she confessed thoughtfully. "All this time, I thought it was luck, but it was a _Shinigami_ who saved my life that day."

"Yes," Rem confirmed the young woman's thoughts.

"Jealous loved you enough to _die_ for you," the Shinigami said, pointing to the notebook, "so that Death Note is now _yours_ to keep."

Misa smiled and nodded before moving to lie on her back, eyes closed.

"I see," said the model. "For a Shinigami to die, they have to love a human enough that they'd _prevent_ their death from happening."

"So what about _you_, Rem?" Misa questioned Rem, opening her eyes and looking up at her Shinigami. "You're not in love with me, are you? _Be honest_."

"Just forget it," Rem replied. "You really _think_ you can kill me that easily?"

"_Oops_! You saw through that?" Misa asked with a smile, laughing before looking up to the ceiling. "I'm so _glad_. At least now I have something _interesting_ to tell Kira."

"But I wonder, does _he_ know... how to k-i-l-l a Shinigami?" she asked no one in particular. "I asked him on TV to find a way for us to _meet_ each other, but he hasn't _replied_ to me yet."

"What's _taking_ him so long?" the young woman pondered impatiently. "Maybe I should just send him another message..."

* * *

The next day, Light sat at the small cafe he had take Ryuuzaki to, sitting at the same booth and in the same seat as before, his thoughts focused on the second Kira. Musiko happened to be in the opposite booth, working on her Sudoku book in _pen_ - a sign of _true_ confidence, she believed - the ex-negotiator not really knowing why she was with Light Yagami for what she regarded as some scheduled deep thinking time.

'_This isn't good,_' Light thought silently, glaring at nothing in particular, though his eyes happened to be on Musiko. '_I can't allow this __**second Kira**__ to act on her own for much longer. She's __**careless**__; it's only a matter of time before she slips up and when she __**does**__, the police will be waiting._'

'_With her in custody, they could find out about the Death Note,_' he worried, and rightfully so, fists clenching.

"Light, please try aiming your angry glare _elsewhere_," Musiko requested with a sigh, breaking his thoughts. "It's giving me the creeps..."

* * *

Just then, a lone girl entered the same cafe, her blonde pigtails bouncing as a waiter took her order, the woman sitting near Musiko and Light's booth, but out of earshot.

* * *

Out of the corner of her eye, Musiko saw Kuro, who was standing behind the Yagami boy with Ryuk, tug his left ear twice, the signal she'd been waiting for. Her eyes shifted briefly as she discreetly glanced around the cafe, looking over her shoulder to see the back of a woman's head that was covered in blonde hair.

From the small glimpse she managed, she thought something was familiar about that female's hairstyle, but couldn't put her finger on it.

"And besides, I _know_ you must be thinking about _her_ again, but you're forgetting about Kuro," Musiko carried on seamlessly, looking at Light a moment before her eyes returned to her puzzle. "Even though _Ryuk_ won't help you, Kuro will help _me_."

"And how can he ensure that this _impostor_ doesn't ruin everything?" Light demanded calmly before taking a sip of his tea which had long since become cold.

Musiko grinned, still working on her Sudoku puzzle as she replied, "I already know who we're looking for, although I can't give you her _name_ at this time. If _you_ don't find her first or vice versa, I'm _well_ on my way to meeting her."

Light's eyes widened at this news, though he quickly regained his usual composure.

"According to my cards, she'll eventually find you herself and she _won't_ get caught," Musiko assured the young man sitting across from her. "All you have to worry about now are the details and, _believe me_, _that_ is where the devil lies in wait... Just trust in me and my abilities. After all, I'm not just _eye candy_; I'm here to be of _use_ to you."

Feeling slightly relieved, Light began to ponder the other Kira's persona calmly.

'_I wonder... what kind of person __**are**__ you, impostor?_' the young brunette thought, taking another sip of cold tea before setting down his cup.

* * *

Meanwhile, the blonde at the other table was pondering something as well.

'_I wonder... what __**kind**__ of person __**are**__ you, Kira?_'

Misa then popped the strawberry from her strawberry sundae into her mouth happily.

* * *

Musiko smiled to herself, finishing up one Sudoku puzzle and moving on to the one on the adjacent page with a small twirl of her pen.

'_Kuro, you deserve a few packets of __**beef jerky**__ tonight for spotting her,_' the raven-haired woman thought, pleased with the death god, then turning her mind to the second Kira. '_I've got you in my sights, __**second Kira**__._'

* * *

Later that day, Light and Musiko were walking together down a sidewalk.

Light was wearing a plain, black shirt, a reddish-brown coat over it, khaki colored pants below it and his usual black shoes on.

Musiko, with her usual pair of black jeans, chain included, and black sneakers on her feet, was wearing a long-sleeved, black shirt under a short-sleeved, white shirt. On the white shirt was the famous 'Kilroy was here' sign, the image of the little, large-nosed man with one hair peeking over a line at the top of her chest, suggesting something naughty, with the wording 'Kilroy was here' over her breasts.

Light had just received a message from his father that there was a second message from the second Kira which included a video and a journal. Hands in his pockets, Light walked alongside Musiko, their Shinigami following along behind them.

'_A __**journal**__? What is that __**idiot **__up to now?_' Light wondered silently, frustrated with his impostor. '_Why can't she just __**wait**__?_'

"You're wondering why _she_ can't wait, aren't you?" Musiko questioned the brunette at her side without looking up, working on her Sudoku puzzle as she walked.

She gave him no time to reply as he looked over to her, the ex-negotiator answering the question in his mind, "She's a _woman_ - a rather _dumb_ and probably _emotional_ woman - who loves Kira. She's likely impatient with Kira because he hasn't _responded_ to her."

"She's excited and anxious and can't contain her joy that her _idol_ responded to her once," the blue-eyed woman went on, never looking up from her book. "She probably has no _idea_ that Kira is an intelligent being and thinks she's an idiot... In _her_ world, she's a good little follower with a pure heart and Kira is so _kind_, _loving_ and _god_-like that he must _surely_ adore those with pure hearts."

"There's probably rainbows, puppy dogs and _unicorns_ somewhere in that world, too," she assessed with a smirk, finishing her puzzle. "No doubt, they're all morbid in some _goth_ fashion. She probably would like the song _Don't Fear The Reaper_ by Blue Oyster Cult."

Placing her pen over her ear, she flipped through her Sudoku booklet.

"She'll probably have a very kind heart, which is the _only_ thing I can think of that makes me not want to maul her violently at this point," the young woman mused, opening her purse and putting away her booklet, then taking her pen and putting it away as well.

"_Man_, talk about your _bad_ first impressions," added Musiko, smirking. "I want to kill her and I haven't even _met_ her yet."

* * *

Now at the hotel, after being filled in on the new development, Light asked his father, "He wanted the journal shown on TV?"

"Yes," Soichiro replied, handing his son said journal. "This is it."

Musiko stood on her tiptoes in order to peek over his shoulder and read it as well.

'_Two thousand six? These entries are from __**last year**__,_' Light noted as he read over the journal.

"Please take a look at the entry he made on the thirtieth," suggested Ryuuzaki from his seat nearby.

Musiko looked to the entry, '_Confirmed our Shinigami at the __**Tokyo Dome**__, huh? I guess it's supposed to mean she plans to do that on May thirtieth._'

'_But if this were aired on TV,_' Light carried on her thoughts, '_her intentions would be __**obvious**__ to anyone who __**sees**__ it._'

'_Besides, she can't see __**my**__ Shinigami unless she touches my Death Note. How's she planning to do __**that**__?_' Light wondered, scanning over the entries until he came upon one that recorded the second Kira and the first showing their notebooks to one another at Aoyama.

Nyoko saw the entry too, finally standing flat on her feet once more.

'_**Aoyama**__, then, huh?_' she thought, biting her bottom lip. '_I'd like to be there to see __**exactly**__ what happens, but I suppose I should stay out of it; I'd only __**complicate**__ things. __**Unless**__, of course, Kira asks me to come so I can point her out... But I'd rather not._'

* * *

"Hey, Rem," Misa gained the Shinigami's attention, sitting on her knees before her vanity and brushing her hair.

"Hm?"

"I _forget_. Why can't I see my own lifespan, even though I have Shinigami Eyes?" the young model asked, looking at her name displayed in her reflection. "Do you think you could tell me again?"

Rem then explained it patiently to the girl for what the Shinigami had counted to be the fifth time, "Humans with Shinigami Eyes only need to know the lifespan of their victims. And just as _we_ can't see the lifespan of others of our kind, humans who possess a Death Note cannot see each other's lifespan, even with the Eyes."

"Hm," hummed the woman thoughtfully.

* * *

'_May twenty-second: "my friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama",_' Light thought, still looking over the journal. '_If by __**notebooks**__, she's referring to our __**Death Notes**__, that's something that could __**only**__ be understood by __**Musiko and I**__. And as for the police, they'll be distracted by the May thirtieth entry: "we confirmed our Shinigami at the baseball game at the Tokyo Dome"._'

'_It __**must**__ have been intended for them,_' he reasoned. '_I'm almost __**positive**__ that the __**real**__ message from this diary is the one regarding Aoyama... But if __**that's**__ the case..._'

Ryuuzaki then walked over, asking, "What do you think? Is it _real_?"

Light looked to the detective, thinking over his next move, '_I have to be __**careful**__ not to say too much. Better to wait and hear __**his**__ opinion first._'

"At this point in time, all I can say for sure is he must be _stupid_," Light concluded.

"Yeah, I agree," Matsuda chimed in. "I mean, it's _completely_ obvious he wants to meet Kira at the home game."

"Doesn't he _understand_ what would happen if we aired this message?" pondered Soichiro. "It would create an immediate panic and the game would have to be canceled."

Musiko chewed her lip from where she now sat, watching the others, '_Should I tell L privately about the Aoyama part? He may already have taken notice of it, __**but**__... __**No**__. I'd rather L didn't know about that particular entry._'

"Hhh... To be _honest_, it's so _stupid_," Ryuuzaki began, cramming a piece of chocolate into his mouth, "I'm not even sure how to deal with this whole _situation_ anymore."

"I mean, if we make the diary _public_," the detective explain as he returned to his seat, "then we'd be _forced_ to make some sort of televised announcement _canceling_ the game on the thirtieth, but if we _don't_ broadcast it, we can be _sure_ the second Kira won't do anything."

The others walked over to the couches by the detective, Matsuda inquiring, "Won't canceling the game make him _angry_? There's no telling _what_ he'll do."

"Frankly, that's not a big concern," Ryuuzaki replied. "From what we've witnessed, it's safe to say the second Kira _admires_ the real one. He gave his _word_ to the Kira we invented that he'd _refrain_ from killing aimlessly. I'm inclined to believe that."

"_I_ say we make it public and we air an announcement canceling the game," suggested the famous detective. "At the same time, we'll announce that on May thirtieth we're going to set up check points on _all_ roads leading to the Tokyo Dome."

"And, finally, we'll send a response from our _invented_ Kira - something like, 'I understand and I agree to meet you there'," he explained, picking up his cup and taking a sip of his sugary tea.

"Ryuuzaki. You don't honestly expect him to go there if we set up checkpoints around the Dome, do you?" Soichiro questioned incredulously.

"I don't think that Kira would even _consider_ it, but it's possible the other one might," the raven-haired detective replied, looking over the journal again. "It all depends on how _stupid_ he really is."

"He, he, he! Anyone who has this power is automatically a _he_!" Musiko complained at what she considered a sexist assumption, her head bobbing in annoyance. "The second Kira is a _freaking woman_, alright? ..._God_."

She sighed heavily, "It's not like I'm proud as a female to call her one of my own, but let's at least picture the correct _gender_ of this idiot, alright?"

"How do you know this Kira is a she?" Soichiro asked her curiously.

"My cards showed me so, but _logic_ tells me that only a _female_ would be so _pathetically desperate_ to meet Kira based on everyone's first biased thought that the _real_ Kira is a _male_," the woman answered, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Let's all try to be equal opportunity accusers, alright?"

"As you wish," Ryuuzaki allowed, picking up the journal. "And, assuming _she's_ not actually the _idiot_ we _think_ she is, there _could_ be _another_ message hidden in this diary - one that's not so obvious."

"_If_ there's a message here, written in some _code_ that only people who have this... _Shinigami power_ can understand, there'd be no _way_ for me to decipher it. _Still_, it would only make sense for us to look into _all_ the places that were mentioned in the journal... Ah, _twenty-second_ he's meeting a friend in _Aoyama_--"

Musiko drowned out his words when he hit the magic words, the young woman bubbling on the inside and on the verge of blurting out the obviousness of the Aoyama entry.

"We have to be prepared for the possibility that all of our efforts will be fruitless," Ryuuzaki warned them, bringing Musiko out of her thoughts. "Let's keep an eye out for people with notebooks in _Aoyama_--"

Again, Musiko's mind left the conversation, '_How could you miss the obvious Aoyama entry, L? The __**other**__ one was to throw you off... I wish I could just __**tell**__ you, but I can't help you every time..._'

'_It's as I thought. If this phony Kira slips up and-- __**Wait**__, I __**have**__ to trust Musiko,_' Light thought. '_She knows who this other Kira is, or at least what she __**looks**__ like, and she __**assured**__ me this impostor wouldn't get caught... __**Still**__, I __**have**__ to be in Aoyama._'

"All we can do is place more surveillance cameras in these two areas in the hopes that we might _capture_ somebody," Ryuuzaki announced. "We should _also_ arrange to have undercover officers in _both_ locations on these dates."

Matsuda chimed in with a grin, "_I_ should probably go to those locations because I'd blend in with the crowd there, you know?"

Musiko had to stuff a wad of beef jerky in her mouth to keep from laughing hysterically, almost choking on said wad, Kuro patting her back to dislodge it, Ryuk chuckling as he watched her struggling.

"I'll go, too," Light announced.

Soichiro looked up to him, "But, Light..."

"I'll be alright; don't worry," the young man assured him. "They're places I'd go _anyway_. Not to mention, out of _all_ of us, I'd probably look the most natural hanging out with Matsui there... _Besides_, the second Kira will be there looking for _Kira_, _not_ for the police."

Musiko suddenly hacked up the wad of beef jerky, sending it across the room, everyone looking to her. She patted her chest, eyes wide as she gulped air greedily.

"_Damn it_, _Matsuda_, you almost _killed_ me!" she declared angrily, breathing deeply.

"Uh... _Huh_?" Matsuda asked, completely confused.

The others weren't so sure what she meant either, looking at one another for an answer, but coming up empty.

* * *

Matsuda walked back towards the hotel after seeing Light leave in a taxi, his phone suddenly ringing.

"It never fails," he muttered in complaint, pulling it out of his pocket. "The _second_ I'm out the door, my phone starts ringing..."

He opened his phone and answered, "Yes?"

"It's Ryuuzaki," the detective said on the other end of the line. "When you two are working together, I want you to keep a close eye on Light the entire time. And, _please_ keep this between you and me."

"Uh... Sure," Matsuda replied. "Yeah, I understand."

He then turned off his phone, putting it back in his pocket.

'_I guess he still plans to investigate Light until the probability that he's Kira reaches zero,_' he thought, heading back inside.

* * *

"I'm home!" Light called out, walking into his house.

"Hello, dear," his mother greeted him. "You're back quite _late_ today."

"Yeah," replied the young man, taking off his shoes.

'_I'm __**supposed**__ to keep the fact that I'm helping with the Kira investigation a secret,_' he reminded himself, trying to think up an excuse. '_**Musiko**__ was there... I could say I was..._'

"I-It's because I was hanging out with my girlfriend," he announced suddenly.

His mother looked astonished, muttering, "Your..."

A squeal came from the other room, Light's sister, Sayu, bounding in to greet him.

"Light! You have a girlfriend now? What's her name?" she asked excitedly as she held her potato chip bag.

"It's not _that_ surprising," he answered, beginning to head upstairs. "I'm eighteen and I'm in _University_ now; _of course_ I have a girlfriend..."

"You should look for a _boyfriend_, Sayu," he changed the topic smoothly.

"Huh? A _boyfriend_? What's _that_ supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Light, aren't you going to have any dinner?" Light's mother called up the stairs after him.

"Actually, I'm still full from room service at the hotel," he called back down.

Sayu squealed again, running to look up the stairs.

"I _can't believe_ you just said that to mom! So what's this about a hotel? Sounds pretty suspicious."

Light closed his bedroom door, locking it before removing his coat.

"Okay, Ryuk," the brunette said to his Shinigami. "We need to have a little talk."

"Ah. Should have know," Ryuk replied, watching the young man walk off.

"And I'd _appreciate_ an answer, if you could," Light added, sitting down at his desk and turning on his computer. "If you see another human with a Shinigami, will you act the way you _normally_ do?"

"Yeah," Ryuk answered the young man's inquiry, standing nearby. "Even if I see another human with a Shinigami, I'm _not_ gonna tell _you_."

"Well, I _definitely_ think you've got the right approach," the brunette replied.

"Eh. Thanks."

"Huh?" Light muttered, looking at the search results on his computer. "There's no _way_. Did she _really_ think this far ahead?"

Ryuk leaned down, looking at the screen.

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"Aoyama is a _big_ area," Light explained to Ryuk, looking at the search result. "I was searching for possible meeting places when I stumbled across _this_. On the twenty-second, there's a big event going on at a club in Aoyama called the Note Blue."

"Aoyama - blue mountain. Note and Blue. It's a code," he concluded.

"Well, well, if you ask _me_, that's pretty elaborate," Ryuk replied.

"She might be smarter than we thought," the young man admitted, "which means, I'll have to be _that_ much more careful from now on... In any case, this Note Blue place is _definitely_ worth checking out."

"What's the point in _going_ there if you don't want her to find out you're Kira?" questioned his Shinigami. "You really think it's worth the risk?"

* * *

Sitting before her computer, Musiko smirked at the screen.

"Note Blue and blue mountain," she mused aloud, tugging at her bottom lip. "She must have half a brain more than I gave her _credit_ for, if this is _really_ a code."

Kuro chuckled, "You still want to _kill_ her, Mistress?"

"No," replied Musiko with a grin. "I'd say my need to kill just decreased to a desire to maim, maul and otherwise injure."

The two then laughed, sharing some beef jerky.

* * *

On the specified date in the second Kira's journal, Light and Matsuda met in Aoyama, Light accompanied by a large group of people.

"Excuse me, uh, _Light_? What's going on here?" Matsuda asked upon sight of the crowd with the younger man.

"Oh. These are some of my friends from school," Light explained, looking to his group.

"Nice to meet you," Matsuda greeted to the assortment of Light's friends, bowing to the group.

"This is my cousin, Taro," Light told the others, introducing them. "It's his first time _ever_ in Tokyo and he wants to see Aoyama and Roppongi, so I figure the least we can do is show him a good time. I'm countin' on you guys."

The group bowed to Light, who added, "Oh, yeah. He also told me he's looking for a girlfriend, so does anyone want to volunteer?"

The others laughed, Matsuda protesting, "Hey! I never said that!"

* * *

Light, his group and Matsuda walked around, the latter impressed with Light's idea of having his friends come along.

'_With all of us walking __**together**__ like this, __**even**__ if Ryuk is seen, no one would be able to tell which one of us he's following,_' Light thought to himself, eyes scanning the area. '_It's also a good defense against L's surveillance cameras... Not such a bad way to investigate, really. I just have to stay relaxed and keep an eye on the entrance of the Note Blue when it opens._'

* * *

Sitting before windows in a little cafe, Misa watched passersby closely as she sat in her disguise of short, black hair and glasses. Unknowningly, Light walked passed, her Shinigami Eyes detecting him right away.

'_Found you,_' Misa declared silently, pushing up her glasses. '_**Moon**__ Yagami, is it? __**You're**__ the only one whose lifespan I can't see._'

'_**He's**__ Kira!_' the girl concluded excitedly. '_I can't __**believe**__ it! I never thought it would be __**this**__ easy to find him._'

As Light walked out of sight, Misa stood up.

"Alright, Rem," she said. "Time to go."

"You finally _found_ him and now you just want to _leave_?" the Shinigami asked disbelievingly.

"Well," Misa began, "I _can't_ go up to him and say, 'Hi, Kira! Nice to meet you! _I'm_ the one who sent you the messages' with all these _people_ around... I know his _name_ now, so I can _easily_ find out _all_ about him."

"After all, it's such a _unique_ name," the young woman said dreamily.

* * *

Back at her apartment, Misa looked up information on Kira.

"Ohh. It's written as _Moon_, but read as _Light_," she noted, reading his profile. "Light Yagami."

"Oh, he sure is _amazing_! _Look_ at all this _stuff_!" the woman marveled, then rambled on about the information she had procured. "He won the national _tennis_ championship when he was in his _second_ and _third_ years of junior high, he gave an _address_ as freshman representative at _this_ year's entrance ceremony at To-Oh University..."

"I _can't_ find a picture of him," she said disappointedly, "but there won't be _anyone else_ with a name like Light Yagami."

'_Who would have __**ever**__ thought that Kira would be __**so**__ young and handsome?_' the woman pondered, closing her eyes happily. '_Everything about him is __**better**__ than I imagined. I can't believe how __**easy**__ it was to __**purchase**__ this information... The world sure is a scary place. I even know his home address now!_ '

* * *

"So we were there _both_ days," Aizawa said in L's hotel suite with the others, "in Aoyama on the twenty-second and in Shibuya on the twenty-fourth and we observed _nothing_ of significance on either occasion... That leaves us with only the _Dome_ on the thirtieth."

'_I didn't notice __**anyone**__ who looked suspicious at the Note Blue,_' Light thought, not knowing just what to think of this impostor. '_Was she __**serious**__ about the Dome?_'

L's computer suddenly beeped, Watari speaking, "Ryuuzaki, apparently Sakura TV has just received another message from the second Kira."

Aizawa, Light and Soichiro stood up.

"It was post-marked on the twenty-third," Watari informed them, streaming the video.

The white background and black font that read "Kira" appeared, the familiar masked voice speaking, "I'm happy to say that I have _found_ Kira. To _all_ of the people at the television station and the police department, I'd like to thank you very much."

'_I-Impossible. __**Where**__? In Aoyama?_' he questioned silently, nerves rightfully rattled. '_Her Shinigami... It must have seen Ryuk and picked me out of the crowd... No! No, there's no way he could have known who Ryuk was attached to. I checked __**repeatedly**__ that no one was following me._'

'_If this is true,_' thought Ryuuzaki, considerably more calm than his suspect, '_the only possible event that would correspond with this tape being mailed on the __**twenty-third**__ is the entry regarding Aoyama on the twenty-second. The only ones from the task force who __**went**__ to Aoyama are Matsuda and Light Yagami, and our Kira is obviously __**not**__ Mr. Tota._'

'_Is Light really Kira __**after all**__, just like Musiko __**says**__?_' the detective wondered. '_**Still**__, there's no proof it even __**happened**__ in Aoyama._'

"This is a _disaster_ if h-- _she_ found him," Aizawa announced, gaze moving to Musiko briefly.

The woman, sitting in the room, smiled triumphantly at him.

"It most likely means that the two Kiras are now cooperating with each other," Soichiro commented.

"At this point, I don't think we should jump to any _conclusions_," Ryuuzaki advised the task force members, stirring his tea. "The second Kira is only saying that he _found_ him - nothing more. He may not have made _contact_ yet."

"Now that it's come to this," he went on to say, taking a sip of his tea, "we have no choice but to communicate as the police _directly_ with the second Kira."

"You wanna send a _message_?" Matsuda curiously asked.

"Yes," the raven-haired detective replied in the affirmative. "The police need to reach out to the copy cat and off her a deal. We need to _negotiate_ with her to see if we can get Kira's real name."

Ryuk chuckled from behind Light, looking down at the young man, "That's the _last_ thing you wanted to hear, _right_?"

'_This isn't __**good**__,_' Light thought worriedly, mind no longer at ease by Musiko's continual assurances that everything would be alright. '_I have __**no**__ idea how the fake Kira will __**react**__ to this... But I have no means of stopping the police from sending this message._'

* * *

After watching the message from the police, Misa got up and went outside.

"Where are you going?" Rem, her Shinigami, questioned, following behind her.

"To introduce myself," answered Misa simply.

* * *

Misa rang the doorbell outside Light Yagami's home.

"So _this_ is what you meant," Rem commented in realization.

Sayu rushed to the door, thinking it was her father, and answering, "Welcome ho--"

Instead of her father, she saw a young woman with blonde hair staring back at her.

"Hi," Sayu said, almost flatly.

"Hello and good evening," Misa greeted her very politely. "My name is Misa Amane. I just came by to give Light an important notebook he left at school today."

"Could you wait _here_ for a second?" requested Light's sister, turning to the stairs and calling for her brother.

Light came downstairs, wondering if this person could possibly be the second Kira and finding Misa at the door. He then walked outside, closing the door behind him.

"Um, pleased to meet you," Misa said timidly, bowing to him. "I'm Misa Amane. I thought you might get _worried_ if you saw that message on TV."

She then confessed, "I just couldn't _take_ it anymore, so I brought... this notebook."

She then held out her Death Note, Light walking over and touching the corner of it. Looking up, he immediately saw her Shinigami.

'_**She's**__ the fake Kira,_' his thoughts confirmed his suspicion, Light _forcing_ himself to be civil as he invited her in.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Misa asked worriedly.

"Mom, she came _all_ this way to return my notebook," Light said to his mother, then made a request. "Could you make us some tea?"

"Sure. I don't see why not," his mother replied, Light leading Misa up to his room.

Seeing the look on Sayu's face, he thought quickly, covering.

"Huh? I already told you about her," he reminded the young girl, heading for the stairs.

Misa bowed to Light's mother and sister before following him up the staircase and into Light's bedroom.

"Have a seat," Light commanded the fake Kira.

"Oh. Um, thank you," she replied politely, walking over to his desk chair and sitting down.

Light sat on the edge of his bed, facing her.

"How did you find me?" the young man immediately asked the first question on his mind.

"I _knew_ it," she announced. "_You_ never made the Shinigami Eye deal..."

The petite woman then explained to her idol, "When you have the Shinigami Eyes like _I_ do, you can see _most_ people's name and lifespan just by _looking_ at them. However, you _can't_ see the lifespan of any person who possesses a Death Note."

'_Musiko failed to __**mention**__ that detail,_' Light thought, slightly annoyed.

"No kidding," Ryuk said, surprised. "Even _I_ wasn't aware of that little detail."

"Well, now you've managed to _find_ me, but you were _careless_," he reprimanded her. "What if you had been _caught_ by the police? Then they'd know everything _about_ Kira."

"It's alright... because the police _didn't_ catch me... and if I do as you say from now on, they'll never be _able_ to," reasoned the little blonde. "So we're safe. After all, don't you need someone to see L's name? If you want, _I_ could be your eyes. So..."

She then looked down, unable to say it.

"_Yeah_?" he asked roughly, annoyed with her. "'_So_' what?"

"Would you please make me your girlfriend?" Misa requested loudly and nervously.

"Girlfriend, huh?" he questioned, sighing deeply.

'_Musiko was __**right**__... and this __**complicates**__ things with __**her**__ and in __**general**__._'

"Impossible. The day that you and I were at Aoyama, there were _three times_ the number of surveillance cameras around," he explained to the second Kira, leaning forward. "Anyone who was in Aoyama on the twenty-second would have _definitely_ been caught on camera; that _includes me_. If you and I were _seen_ together, it wouldn't _look_ very good. In fact, even being here together right _now_ is a problem... I wish you'd _understand_ that."

Misa took something from her purse, showing the photos to Light.

"But look," she protested. "These are photos of me when I went to Aoyama that day."

"Well, I'm sure _no one_ would recognize her from _this_," Ryuk commented as he surveyed the photos.

"And what about your _fingerprints_ - _all_ those tapes you sent to the _TV_ station?" he reminded the girl before him impatiently. "They _all_ had the same fingerprints on them."

"Yeah, but those aren't _my_ fingerprints," she defended herself from his harsh critique of her previous actions. "It's not like I do these things without _thinking_ about them first!"

"Up until recently," she began to explain, "I lived in the Kansai Region and I had this friend that was into the Occult. I suggested we distribute this fake _poltergeist_ video I had made to a _bunch_ of different TV shows _sort of_ as a prank and she agreed to _help_ me with it."

"I had her take care of _all_ of the dubbing so my fingerprints _wouldn't_ be on the tapes," Misa assured the young man. "Then I _took_ them from her, _added_ the Kira graphic and recorded the message with that voice effect."

"And this _friend_ you made the tapes with; where is she _now_?" demanded Kira.

"Why are you _doing_ this to me?!" Misa shouted, completely frustrated with Kira's intense interrogation. "If you _want_ me to kill her, just _say_ so and I'll _kill_ her!"

"If you _really_ still can't trust me, then... _here_," she offered, holding out her Death Note to him. "I'll leave and let you hold on to my Death Note, but you'd _just_ be holding it, so I'd still be the rightful _owner_ of it and that means I get to _keep_ my Shinigami Eyes.

"Isn't that right, Rem?" the woman asked of her Shinigami.

"Yes, that's right," Rem affirmed her assessment.

Light took the notebook, Misa adding, "Now there's _no way_ I could possibly kill you... and if I become a burden to you, then you can just _kill_ me, okay?"

'_Why would she go this far?_' Light wondered, watching the blonde girl before him.

"But, you might have removed several pages from your Death Note," he objected. "You could be _hiding_ them somewhere, for all _I_ know."

Misa stood in outrage, shouting at the brunette, "_Why_ are you so _suspicious_ of me?! I already told you, I don't care, even if all you do is _use_ me!"

"_Believe_ me," she begged desperately, feeling completely helpless.

"How can you _say_ that?" Kira asked in disbelief.

She fell to the floor, head hung low as she began to tell him her reasons for such devotion.

"Exactly one year ago, my parents were killed in a robbery," the girl explained sadly. "I was home with them at the time; it happened _right in front of me_... I wanted that man to _pay_ for what he did, but the trial dragged on forever. Opinions started surfacing that he was being _falsely accused_."

"Then it happened," she continued, tears in her eyes. "Kira _punished_ him for what he did to my parents. And that's why Kira means _everything_... Kira means _everything_ to me."

"All I--" began the small girl, lifting her head to look at him with her innocent, blue eyes, "All I wanted was the chance to _meet_ you one day... so I could _thank_ you for what you did."

Misa then hung her head once more, sobbing.

'_So __**all**__ these irrational moves - they were just a means for her to meet Kira,_' thought the _true_ Kira, watching the young woman crying on his bedroom floor. '_**Still**__, she got around the surveillance cameras with __**ease**__ and managed not to leave her fingerprints on the evidence. She's not as stupid as I thought... and she __**has**__ promised to __**obey**__ me from now on._ '

He stood, walking over to the fallen woman and, to her surprise, kneeling down and hugging her tightly.

"I understand," Light said to her. "I _can't_ be your boyfriend, _but_... I can _act_ like it."

Misa cried still, but out of joy, listening to her savior.

"The lengths you went to _meet_ me - to be of _help_ to me - those eyes of yours that you sacrificed _half_ your life to get will become my weapon."

"Thank you so much," she replied happily. "I'll try my _hardest_ to make you love me. I _promise_."

Light smirked to himself, expression hidden from the blonde in his arms, '_Now I have a set of Eyes that __**will**__ tell me L's name._'


	17. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than cops like donuts. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** Short chapter, I know, but I haven't been able to work on these much lately, so I decided to let it be a little short. I'll be trying put out three chapters a week from now on, though. That would make it a chapter on every other day. If I can't manage that, then I'll try for twice a week instead.

Wish me luck.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen - King of Diamonds (Contentment)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- The human who becomes the owner of the Death Note can, in exchange of half of his/her remaining life, get the eyeballs of the god of death which will enable him/her to see a human's name and remaining lifetime when looking through them._

* * *

'_I'll arrange for her to meet L, she'll tell me his __**name**__ and then I eliminate the __**entire**__ task force, save Musiko,_' Light's mind raced with his scheme, the young man still holding Misa close from their spot on the floor in his room where the blonde had confessed her story. '_**However**__, because of Musiko's information, I know I can't use the __**Death Note**__ to kill Misa... That leaves me no choice but to kill her with my own __**hands**__, if it __**comes**__ to that. But that __**still**__ leaves Musiko... Maybe I can keep her around._'

The pair then moved from their embrace, Misa staring back at Light Yagami with hope in her blue eyes.

"So, you'll just _pretend_?" the little blonde questioned. "Alright. I _guess_ it's a good start..."

"Well, _now_ that we talked about _that_, could you show me your Shinigami?" the woman requested. "I _really_ want to see him."

'_I need her to trust me,_' the brunette reasoned as he stood. '_I guess I __**have**__ to._'

"Yeah. Sure," he replied acquiescently, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet part way. "Could you please turn around?"

"Alright," conceded the young model, doing as told, Light taking out his wallet and slipping out a piece of his Death Note before touching it to her hand.

"You can turn back now," Light allowed.

"Okay!" Misa replied, turning around in the desk chair.

"Hi, there. How's it going?" Ryuk greeted the woman.

"Oh! Look at that! You're a _completely_ different type of Shinigami than Rem, _aren't you_?" she asked, smiling up at him. "I already know your name. It's Ryuk, _right_? Nice to meet you!"

She then waved at him, the Shinigami waving back.

"Yeah," the Shinigami replied with some reservation. "Same here."

"Oh, and by the way, Light, darling, do you know how to _kill_ a Shinigami?" Misa inquired, eager to share any information that could be useful to her savior.

"Did you just call me _darling_?"

"Fine. Then do you mind if I call you Knight _instead_?" she requested happily. "'Cause you're like my knight in shining armor, you know."

He sighed deeply, "Let's just stick with Light."

* * *

Kuro looked down at Nyoko who was lying on her bed that night, reading a book before bed. He had something to say about that Light Yagami person and he didn't know whether she would listen willingly or not, but he decided to inform her of his thoughts anyway.

"Mistress," he began, catching her attention as she looked up to his red eyes.

"Yes?" Nyoko asked in reply, bookmark holding her place in her book on the history of the number thirteen.

"I have withheld my final opinion thus far, but I would like you to be aware that I do not _like_ this _Light Yagami_," Kuro finally asserted, speaking the man's name like poison. "You know that he is using you, but do you understand that he would likely kill you with his own _hands_ if he so desired?"

Musiko smiled slightly at his concern, answering, "Yes, I know he could, which is why I've left an impression in his mind about the second Kira. Even if he _meets_ her, he'll know he needs to get rid of her as soon as possible, assuring my safety because he will _not_ make the Eye deal. And, even if he _doesn't_ get rid of her, I have a plan B."

"I may not know her name and anything more than the _back of her head_, but I _know_ she'll find him, and I'll eventually get to meet her and put her in her place," she explained with confidence. "As long as I have you tell me when she's in my presence through signals, I'll be fine for now. Light Yagami is a _secondary_ matter until I find out her name for myself."

"Why not have me tell you her name _now_, Mistress?" Kuro questioned, not understanding the woman's ways.

"I can't just rely on you for _everything_," the raven-haired woman insisted, placing her book on the nightstand. "_Besides_, I have to keep her alive until the opportune moment, Kuro."

He chuckled at that ever present phrase in her vocabulary, "Ah, yes; the opportune moment. You seem to wait for those moments quite often."

"And why _not_?" she questioned with a smile. "Those are my _favorite_ moments."

* * *

In L's hotel room, the detective sat in front of a TV in a darkened room, Matsuda, Aizawa and Soichiro standing behind him as he fast-forwarded through a surveillance tape.

"So, were you _actually_ planning to check _all_ of the footage we got from Aoyama on the twenty-second by _yourself_?" asked Aizawa incredulously, watching the screen.

"That's right," Ryuuzaki confirmed. "I think it's very likely that _Kira_ and the _second_ Kira made contact with each other there on that day, so I want to check all of these tapes personally."

"_Also_, Mr. Yagami?" he asked.

"Yes?"

"Please ask Mr. Mogi to start following Light so we can keep tabs on what he's doing," the young, raven-haired detective requested.

"You want him _followed_?" asked Soichiro, disheartened to know that his son was still under suspicion.

Ryuuzaki explained, "It's only a _slim_ chance, but if Light _is_ Kira, then there's still a possibility that the _second_ Kira might try to _contact_ him somehow."

Soichiro sighed before leaving the room as he replied, "Very well."

"I'm starting to wonder if Ryuuzaki is even _human_," Aizawa muttered to Matsuda. "The guy never _sleeps_."

"_I_ saw him sleeping in that exact same position the other day," Matsuda told him.

Aizawa looked at him with disbelief written in his eyes.

"No, I'm serious," the other officer insisted.

Ryuuzaki, who was still watching the surveillance tape, heard the two talking about him, but said nothing as he ate his ice cream. He was actually slightly _amused_ by their conversation.

* * *

Back at Light's house, in his room, Misa had just finished explaining how to kill a Shinigami, repeating the story her own had told her which Rem recalled having told the girl not to do specifically.

"So, if a Shinigami has feelings for a _human_ and kills someone else in order to _extend_ that human's life beyond its natural end, the Shinigami will _die_?" Light asked in summation of her tale, fingers linked and resting to his chin.

"That's right," Misa confirmed.

Ryuk laughed, "Good _luck_ trying to find a Shinigami who'd volunteer to do _that_."

Light looked over to him, "That's _true_. I can't see _you_ ever doing that."

"Actually, maybe _Kuro_ would volunteer," Ryuk abruptly added, arms behind his head as he looked up to the ceiling thoughtfully. "But that guy breaks _most_ of the Shinigami rules just because he's the son of the _big guy_."

"_Kuro_?" repeated Rem with sudden interest. "He has found another _woman_, then?"

Ryuk nodded to confirm her thoughts as he turned his gaze to her, commenting, "She's the next big candidate for whatever the guy's been trying to _do_ for _supposedly_ thousands of years..."

"Do you know of his _plans_, Ryuk?" the other Shinigami persisted, forgetting the humans in the room for the moment.

Both Light and Misa listened eagerly, interested in the exchange between the gods of death.

"_Me_? Nah," answered Ryuk, shrugging. "_Nobody_ knows what he's up to... I even asked the _old_ guy."

Rem's eyes narrowed, "And _what_ did he _say_?"

The other Shinigami racked his brain for what the Shinigami King had said, eyes to the ceiling once more before they returned to Rem.

"He said somethin' strange," he finally informed her, then repeated the words of the Great god of death verbatim. "'A time, two times, and half a time remain afore the beginning completes the end. But, lo; behold the woman bathed in blood and robed in misery. Two are adjoined and become whole, the one alone left desolate.'"

Rem contemplated those words deeply, but could not decipher their meaning.

"Who is _Kuro_?" Misa finally inquired of the pair of Shinigami.

Her death god looked to her, "Kuro is the _son_ of the _Shinigami King_."

"_Wow_," muttered the model, understanding that the son of the Shinigami King probably had more power than the average Shinigami. "So he's in the human world, huh?"

"Actually," Light interrupted, deciding it best to defend Musiko, "that Shinigami is with a member of the task force as we speak."

"_Huh_? That's _amazing_!" the little blonde marveled at the coincidence. "Will I meet them?"

The young man answered, "I _guess_, and if you use the Eyes, you'll recognize her."

"_But_," he interjected, "you have to keep _quiet_ about her when you see her; she's very _useful_ to me, Misa."

"Do you _understand_?" Light questioned the woman.

"Uh-huh! I won't say a _word_!" Misa promised her savior resolutely.

His hands fell from his chin, Kira asking the young woman, "By the way, _where_ did you send all those tapes from - the ones that went to the TV station?"

Lifting her forefinger to the side of her chin, she thought back on it.

"Let's _see_," she thought aloud, recalling the various places she'd sent the tapes from. "Osaka the _first_ time. Then Tokyo... This _other_ one from Nagano..."

"I took the bullet train _every_ time, so that way the police couldn't pinpoint my location," Misa stressed her caution and planning to prove she wasn't completely careless.

"Alright," Light returned. "One _more_ thing; do you _still_ have the video tapes and envelopes with your friend's fingerprints on them?"

She nodded, "Uh-huh."

"Well, you'll have to dispose of _everything_ that was used to _create_ those video tapes, _understand_?" he questioned her, the added to his instructions. "But _before_ you _do_, I need you to send one last video and make _sure_ it's from a place you haven't used yet."

Hand over his mouth and chin, he thought deeply on what should be on the final tape.

"It should say... 'I've decided to _stop_ searching for Kira... _and_ I'd like to thank the police department for _all_ of its advice.'," he began, standing from his seat on the foot of his bed. "_'However_, I _still_ plan to _help_ Kira in his mission and I hope that in time he will come to see me as an ally. I will _start_ by punishing criminals that Kira has yet to judge.'"

"'_Also_'," the brunette went on to say, standing before Misa, hand to his chin, "'I will _share_ my power with others who I feel are _worthy_ and I will encourage _them_ to do the same. _Together_ we'll make this world a _better_ place.'"

"Share my power?" she repeated, confusion in her gaze up at the young man.

He looked down to her, "We'll just _add_ that part to throw off their investigation... They suspect that there are already _two_ people with this power, so it wouldn't be a _stretch_ to assume there _could_ be others, and if they _believe_ the numbers are growing, then they'll start to panic."

"Can you _do_ this?" he asked of her.

Misa replied firmly, "No need to ask. Just _tell_ me what to do and I'll do it. I don't care _what_ it is 'cause I'd do _anything_ for you."

"There's _one_ more thing which is very important," Kira added to his instructions once more.

"What's that?" Misa asked, excited to hear his next orders.

Light commanded as he stared off aimlessly, "If you get arrested by the police, _or_ if you're _ever_ brought in for questioning, you can _never_ mention _anything_ about _us_ or the Death Note. As long as they don't get a hold of that notebook, there's no proof that you did anything."

His brown eyes this turned to her as he asked, "Can you _promise_ to say _nothing_?"

With a smile, she lifted a hand, swearing, "I promise."

She then spoke excitedly, "So this must mean we're officially boyfriend and girlfriend now, _aren't we_?"

"W-Well, _sure_, I _guess_," he replied hesitantly, still not entirely enthusiastic about the arrangement.

"Then I'd like to add _one_ condition," Misa announced, holding up a finger. "You have to go on a date with me at least _once_ a week!"

Light sighed deeply, closing his eyes. He could feel a headache forming already.

'_**Unbelievable**__,_' he thought. '_She __**still**__ doesn't get it._'

"We can't!" he replied loudly, annoyed with her inability to comprehend the situation.

She gasped, "But _why_?"

He sighed, frustrated.

"It's _looks_ like I'm gonna have to _spell_ this out for you," he told her impatiently, then explaining. "L already _suspects_ that I'm Kira. Do you _see_ what I'm saying here?"

"No way! L is _amazing_!" marveled the young woman. "I mean... _everyone's_ been saying that he's getting _nowhere_ with the investigation and that he's a complete _idiot_ and stuff... But he already knows _that much_?"

"_Anyway_," he replied, "it's _all_ worked out _well_ for me because, thanks to _that_, I've also been able to get _close_ to L."

"_Huh_? You and L are in _contact_ with each other?" Misa asked, clearly surprised by that information. "Th-Then that's even _more_ amazing."

Misa lifted her hands, shaking with enthusiasm as she declared, "This is getting so exciting!"

"Even though he suspects I'm Kira, L figures he's _safe_ as long as I don't know his _real_ name," the young man told her. "He came _right out_ and told me who he was _just_ to get to me."

"_However_," Light clarified for her, "he's only focusing on me because he has no other suspects. _And_ he has _no_ evidence."

"At _this_ moment, I'm working with him on the case and little by little I'm winning his trust," he told the blonde-haired girl.

Misa replied, "_Great_. So all you have to do is take me to where L is and I can see his _real name_ for you."

"I'm _afraid_ it's not that simple," he once again had to explain to the woman. "_Listen_... It was difficult enough for _me_ to get close to him... _Besides_, if all of a sudden someone I _just_ met gets _too_ close and at the _same_ time the police detect changes in Kira _or_ the second Kira's behavior... _that_ person will be suspected of being the _second_ Kira. And, _of course_, that'll put me under even _greater_ suspicion."

"We _can't_ allow them to make that connection which means we _can't_ appear to be _too_ close to each other," stressed the brunette.

"Do you _understand_ what I'm saying?" Light asked the girl.

"Well, I _think_ I understand," replied Misa. "So is that why we can't go on dates? We can't be seen in public because it'll look too suspicious?"

"_Look_," he said, leaning on his desk. "We _need_ to take the time _now_ to come up with a good plan - some way that you can _see_ L without letting him know you exist."

"Yeah," Misa agreed with a nod.

"I can't eliminate L _without_ you, so I'll call you and see you as often as this situation allows," he compromised.

She asked hopefully, "You _will_?"

"_But_," interjected Kira, "to make sure that our meetings don't stand out, I _have_ to make sure that I'm seen with other girls, okay?"

"_Huh_?" she asked, confused. "What do you mean? You're _seriously_ gonna date other girls?"

"Yeah," he replied, "more or less."

"I don't _want_ you to!" she shouted at him childishly, standing from her seat as her Shinigami Eyes stared into his.

"If I _see_ you with another girl, I'll _kill_ her," Misa warned him darkly.

"_Scary_," Ryuk commented from where he lay on Light's bed.

"Look, _sweetie_," Light spoke, trying to calm her down.

"_Sweetie_?" his Shinigami repeated with a laugh.

Light walked forward, hands to Misa's shoulders, "This is _not_ a game. _Both_ of us are risking our _lives_ to change the _world_, _aren't we_?"

"I _know_ that, but... I love you more than the _world_, Light," confessed the little model, looking deep into his brown orbs.

"It _sounds_ like you're confused," he reasoned against her irrational behavior. "Maybe it _feels_ that way to you, but you're here because you admire _Kira_. You don't even _know_ me; we just met."

She sat back down in his office chair and asked sweetly, "Don't you believe in love at first sight?"

"No," he replied softly, taking a step back.

"I admit that everything you said was true," Misa told him, hands clasped together as she stared up at him. "I _did_ want to meet Kira out of gratitude and respect, _not_ love... but from the moment I first saw you, I _knew_."

'_What is __**wrong**__ with this girl?_' Light asked himself, bewildered with her irrational thoughts and feelings.

"Popular," Ryuk commented once more, "as _always_."

"_Well_," Light began, barely certain what to say to such an emotional woman, "you can show me your love by _obeying_ me... I thought you said it was _okay_ if I used you. A minute ago, you _swore_ you'd do anything I asked."

"Yeah, I did, but I _never_ said you could date other girls!" she insisted. "I mean, those are two _totally different_ things!"

Light leaned toward the woman, warning her, "I _think_ you're forgetting I have _both_ notebooks; if you _don't_ obey me, I can _easily_ kill you."

Rem interjected, "I would _never_ allow that, Light Yagami."

"If you do _anything_ that results in this girl's death," the Shinigami warned him, "the first thing I'll _do_ is write your name in my Death Note. I _will_ kill you."

"I'm _sure_ you realize that I can _see_ her lifespan," Rem told him. "If she happens to die _before_ that time, I'll _know_ it was _you_ who killed her."

"But if you were to use your Death Note to _save_ her, wouldn't that mean _you'd_ die, too?" Light questioned the Shinigami in return.

"That's right!" Misa agreed. "If you tried to save me, you would die, _too_!"

"Yes, you are correct," Rem admitted easily, "but I'm _quite_ willing to accept that outcome."

'_Is this Shinigami __**serious**__?_' Light pondered, staring back at it as it stared directly at him. '_This is __**crazy**__. Then this means, from now on..._'

There was a sudden knock at the door, Light's mother calling out, "Light?"

Light looked to the door, "Yeah. What is it?"

His mother came in.

"It's almost eleven thirty, you know," she admonished. "You _really_ shouldn't have a girl here this late."

"Oh. Of course," he replied. "I guess we lost track of time."

"Sorry, Mrs. Yagami," Misa apologized politely.

* * *

Outside the Yagami home, Light's mother and sister stood, Light and Misa outside the gate, exchanging goodbyes.

"I'm really sorry I came over so late," Misa apologized to the young man. "See you later, Light."

"Yeah," he replied simply.

"Light," his mother said, catching his attention. "You should walk her to the station."

He looked from his mother back to the blonde-haired girl.

'_I __**can't**__ risk being seen with her in public,_' he thought worriedly.

"Oh!" Misa realized Light's dilemma and looked to his mother, politely declining. "No, I'm alright; thanks."

"Well, goodnight!" Misa called, turning and heading home.

Light's mother and sister walked over to the gate, watching Misa skip merrily toward her home.

"Isn't she cute?" his mother said with a smile.

"Yeah, I know," Sayu agreed. "When she _got_ here, I wasn't so sure, but you're right. She's _cute_, mom. I _like_ her!"

'_That Shinigami is going to __**kill**__ me if I kill that girl?_' Light thought of the earlier discussion with the death god, realizing this was the second Shinigami he'd met who would die for a human. '_Which means, I'm gonna have her hanging around me until she __**dies**__? Not only __**that**__, it also means that I'll be forced to protect her from being caught by the police for the rest of her __**life**__._'

* * *

Misa walked on her way to the station, content with how things were going as her Shinigami followed along behind her.

"Thanks to _you_, Rem, Light really _is_ going to be my knight in shining armor," she mentioned gratefully.

Her Shinigami looked to her, "I suppose."

"_But_... you can't _really_ kill him, okay?" Misa asked, staring up at the stars.

* * *

In Musiko's hotel room, her phone rang, disturbing her from her dreams, the woman reaching toward the nightstand and fumbling around until she picked up her cell phone.

"Who the hell is this, calling me this late at night like some _jackass_ who wants to have their ass kicked?" she demanded rudely with all the attitude she could muster in her still sleep-ridden voice.

"It's _Yuki_, and didn't your mother ever teach you any manners?!" Yuki screeched back.

"Yuki, I'm an _orphan_, you _jerk_."

"Oh... I'm so sorry!" the other woman apologized. "I _completely_ forgot!"

Musiko sighed deeply, brow furrowing, "Please tell me why you're calling me this late."

"Oh! Right! I called to say you got the opening at the concert hall where you'll preform a set of songs and unveil that new _hit_ you've worked so hard on when that Ryuuzaki let you have time off!" rambled Musiko's manager excitedly.

"_Oh_? That's good news," Musiko conceded. "_However_, the _next_ time I _get_ something like this, please refrain from calling me at _one in the morning_."

With that, she hung up, falling asleep with her cell phone gripped tightly in her hand.

* * *

Light sat at his desk, turning on his computer.

'_For a Shinigami to die, they have to save the life of a human - a human who they have fallen in love with,_' he summed up what he'd recently learned, doing a search on his computer. '_**Ideally**__, I could kill Rem __**first**__; someone I was __**controlling**__ would attack Misa, forcing Rem to __**save**__ her, but... No, that would never work. If Misa's life was put in danger, Rem would __**immediately**__ suspect me and __**I'd**__ be the one who'd get killed._'

He sighed to himself, '_As things stand, she's a __**bigger**__ nuisance than L._'

Light gasped, seeing the results of his internet search.

'_Sh-She's __**famous**__? I don't even __**want**__ to imagine what would happen if someone found out about us._'

'_Damn it,_' he inwardly cursed. '_She's nothing but trouble. What should I do? __**No**__. More __**importantly**__, I need to think of how I can use Misa's Eyes to help me kill L... If I can eliminate __**him**__..._'


	18. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Ryuk likes apples. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** On Saturday, I went to the ER and learned that I am, in fact, diabetic. I also learned that I have to take insulin shots, which are the kind that don't hurt, thankfully, but they _are_ inconvenient. Because of that and some problems at home, I got a bit depressed, which is the cause of this part of the fic taking so long. Sorry about that.

Again, short chapter because of my problems. Please forgive me!

Lastly, I'll be taking a short hiatus on this story until I can get used to my new diabetic-friendly routine. Sorry about that, but I have to put that first. It may take a week or two, just so you know.

Thanks for your patience.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen - Nine of Diamonds (Bias)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- A god of death cannot be killed even if stabbed in his heart with a knife or shot in the head with a gun. However, there are ways to kill a god of death, which are not generally known to the gods of death._

* * *

"Good morning, Light!" Sayu greeted her older brother as he walked to the dining table.

"Good morning," his mother said as well, placing plates on the table.

"Mom, Sayu; could you do me a _big_ favor and keep Misa a secret from dad for now?" Light asked them both, sitting down beside his sister.

"Alright," his mother replied, heading back into the kitchen area.

Light added, "_Actually_, it's not just dad; you can't tell anyone _else_ about her either. You see, Misa's an up and coming model, so people can't know about us."

"_What_?" Sayu squealed. "Is she _really_? I _thought_ she was pretty, but I had _no_ idea..."

"That's pretty impressive, even for _you_, Light," the young girl admitted. "I'll keep it a secret... for fifty bucks!"

Ryuk chuckled, Light's mother slightly laughing as she spoke, "Oh, stop it."

"But what about that _other_ beautiful woman you've been hanging out with lately?" Sayu drilled her brother for answers. "_You know_, the singer? You never even told us her _name_!"

"Musiko and I are just friends; that's all," Light assured Sayu, hoping his stories wouldn't get crossed.

Sayu squealed once more with delight, "Her name is _Musiko_? _She_ must be the same Musiko who wrote _Love is an Equation_ on the album _Songs for the Letter L_!

"She's _so_ awesome!" the girl added, impressed with her brother's social circle.

"Songs for the Letter _L_?" Light repeated, almost in disbelief, assuming her songs on that album must be about _Ryuuzaki_.

'_It's a __**long shot**__, but maybe one of her songs might provide some useful information,_' mused the brunette silently. '_But __**besides**__, I'm interested to know what Musiko would sing about __**L**__... The __**song title**__ Sayu mentioned suggests she __**loved**__ L at one point._'

"Do you have her album?" inquired the young man finally.

"I've got the only two she ever made!" Sayu announced proudly. "You wanna _borrow_ 'em? It'll only cost you twenty bucks!"

"_Sayu_," their mother reprimanded lightheartedly, laughing at her daughter's antics as Ryuk chuckled as well.

"Alright. Twenty bucks it is," Light caved to his younger sister's demand, digging out his wallet and offering her twenty bucks.

"_Really_?" she asked in surprise, but nevertheless taking the offered money.

"_Light_, you shouldn't _encourage_ her," their mother scolded as Sayu ran off to find the two albums.

* * *

In class, Light twirled his pen over his thumb repeatedly, his other hand resting to his cheek, elbow to the desk before him.

'_Misa's final message should arrive today,_' he thought, tuning out his professor. '_Although, before it ever gets to the TV station, it'll be re-routed to task force headquarters. I __**have**__ to go down there at some point so I can see L's reaction __**first hand**__._'

"Light?" a soft, feminine voice from beside him called for his attention. "_Light_?"

Light looked over to the woman beside him with short, raven hair and brown eyes. Her name was Kiyomi Takada, also known as Miss To-Oh around campus. The woman was the same height as Musiko at five five, but surprisingly weighed even less than the ex-negotiator, most likely due to a lack of muscle whereas Musiko was more in fighting shape.

"I _thought_ you and I were seeing each other; that is, we're more than just friends, aren't we?" Kiyomi questioned the young man at her side.

"Yeah, we are," he conceded.

"Exactly," the woman replied. "And _that's_ the reason I'm sitting next to you in class, wouldn't you agree?"

"Sure."

"But you don't look like you enjoy being with me," concluded the woman. "I mean, you haven't even looked at me _once_."

"That's not true _at all_," Light assured her, hand falling from his cheek as he looked to Miss To-Oh. "I guess I was just thinking about how everyone's going to be _talking_ about us now. To think that I'm actually going out with Miss Takada, the _famous_ Miss To-Oh."

"I mean, you're the most _beautiful_ woman at this school," complimented the brunette, stroking her ego carefully.

Kiyomi Takada coughed daintily into her hand.

"Why do you even _care_ about stuff like that?" she questioned. "_Besides_, I _hate_ being called Miss To-Oh, or whatever; it's embarrassing."

"Yeah. You're right," he replied, hand to his cheek once more.

'_What do you know? She actually __**likes**__ all the attention,_' thought the young man.

He then went on to suggest, "We should forget about all that stuff and and go at our own pace."

"Yeah," Kiyomi agreed.

All the while, Mogi from task force headquarters watched them from the highest row behind them.

* * *

"Hello," Light greeted, coming into the room where L and the others were at his hotel suite.

"Oh. Come in," returned the dark-haired detective from where he sat before a television screen, Mr. Yagami to his left. "You're timing couldn't be better, actually."

Musiko sat in one of the cushioned chairs in the room, watching everything boredly. Noticing her, Light went over, taking two CD cases from his pocket.

"Would you mind signing these for my little sister?" he questioned the ex-idol, handing her the CDs.

Musiko recognized the CDs right away, looking up at the young man.

"Sure. Her name's _Sayu_, right?" she asked, then went about finding a pen in her purse.

"Yeah," confirmed the young man.

She was wearing a long-sleeved, white t-shirt, a white shirt with black, short sleeves over it and a black collar. On the front, it read in black font: "You're a _fashion slave_, huh?" with the words "fashion slave" in cursive. On the back, it read in black font: "Well, the only thing I want to see you in is a full body _straitjacket_ as I shove you in a river, _bitch_." with the words "straitjacket" and "bitch" in cursive.

Musiko had felt like wearing something offensive to fashionistas today, the singer autographing both CDs for Light and his sister. Putting away her pen, she handed them back to the brunette.

"Make sure to tell her that both CDs have a bonus song at the end on thirteen minutes and thirteen seconds, in case she doesn't know," Musiko instructed.

"Alright. Thank you," replied Light, walking over to where he'd left his things and putting the CDs away.

'_**Bonus**__ tracks?_' he thought. '_I didn't __**check**__ for that._'

"We just received a new video message from the second Kira," Ryuuzaki informed Light.

"Huh? Wow. _That_ didn't take long," Light commented to the information, walking over to Ryuuzaki and his father.

"Yes. I _believe_ it's the last one," the detective told him, lifting his remote. "Well, take a look at _this_."

The onyx-eyed detective then pressed a button, the video beginning to play.

"I've decided to stop searching for Kira," the masked voice of the second Kira announced. "_And_ I'd like to thank the police department for their advice. _However_, I _still_ plan to help Kira in his mission and I _hope_ that in _time_ he will come to see me as an ally. I will start by punishing criminals that Kira has yet to judge."

"_Also_, I will share my powers with others who I feel are worthy," declared the voice, "and I will _encourage_ them to do the same. _Together_, we'll make this world a better place."

The screen then went black, Ryuuzaki setting his remote on the small table before him.

"After watching this, I can only think that Kira and the second Kira have managed to make contact," concluded the detective.

"What makes you say _that_?" Light questioned.

"Oh, _come on_. Didn't you _sense_ it?" Ryuuzaki asked incredulously, looking to the younger man. "I was _sure_ you'd come to the same conclusion _I_ did after watching this _once through_."

Looking away, he took a hefty gulp of his sugary snack before continuing his thoughts, "First, consider how determined she was to meet Kira. So why the sudden change of heart? Now she wants to punish criminals that Kira _hasn't_? All she _wants_ out of it is for Kira to see her as an _ally_?"

He added, "It begs the question, why didn't she do this to _begin_ with?"

"I'm guessing it's because she never thought that far ahead; she probably _met_ Kira and was told which criminals she'd be allowed to judge," he concluded, eating the last of his sugary sweet. "I suspect the _purpose_ of this message, is to _hide_ the fact that they met."

"I see," Light finally replied, then added his thoughts. "What I find _really_ strange is that's it's unlike Kira to be so careless."

"That's true," the detective agreed, licking his fingers clean of the sugary substance. "But are we to believe that Kira made a _mistake_ this time, or is this his way of letting us know they made _contact_?"

"It would be an _effective_ means of provoking us," Ryuuzaki admitted. "The idea of their union is very threatening. However, this is also one less reason to suspect that _Light_ is Kira."

Soichiro gasped, once again filled with hope.

"Ryuuzaki, what do you mean by that?" he asked.

"If Light _is_ Kira, I don't think this is the message he would have had the second Kira send us; it doesn't fit," the raven-haired detective explained to the Superintendent's question. "_He_ would've made the second Kira go _through_ with her plan to have me appear on TV and _deny_ that they ever made contact, letting the second Kira shoulder the blame for my death."

"He'd make her say _something like_," he went on to say, thinking it over with a lick of the doughnut he picked up, "'Although I agreed not to go _through_ with this, I have come to realize that it was not Kira's true intention that I stop. I'm positive that the _real_ Kira would want L to die. There's no way he'd make me... stop.'"

"Ryuuzaki," Light called the older man's attention.

"Yes, Light?" the detective asked in return, licking the chocolate coating from his doughnut.

"I _think_ you're mistaken," Light gave his own opinion. "I would never do that _if_ I were Kira."

Ryuuzaki questioned, "Why not?"

"Well, if you're _L_ and I'm _Kira_, then I already know your personality _pretty_ well," the young man began to explain his reasoning. "L would never agree to appear on TV, no matter _what_ threat he was facing, and he wouldn't allow someone else to die in his place."

"Why _not_?" Musiko interrupted from where she was listening to their conversation, remembering the incident with Lind L. Tailor. "Forgive the interruption, but L _clearly_ used a prisoner who died in his place. It may have been a test, but L _knew_ there was a chance that the man he sent could die."

"You have a point," conceded Light. "_However_, I don't think he would want to use the same tactic again now that he's _certain_ they would die."

"I see," Musiko replied with a nod.

"_Anyway_," the young man continued, "the L _I_ know would find some way to _escape_ the situation."

"So, you figured it out," Ryuuzaki said, looking to Light.

Soichiro interrupted, "Look, Light, you've _got_ to stop that. I don't like hearing you say 'if I were Kira', even hypothetically."

"Oh. I'm sorry, dad," Light apologized, then explained himself. "I just wanted to let Ryuuzaki know _exactly_ what I thought of his plan... I posed that scenario because I wanna help _solve_ this case; it's the only chance I have to clear my name. _Besides_, the only reason I feel comfortable _saying_ things like that is because I'm not _really_ Kira."

"That's a good point," commented Ryuuzaki, dropping sugar cubes into his tea before picking it up and stirring it. "You're _not_ Kira. That is... it would be a problem if you _were_ Kira because... I feel that you're the second friend that I have ever had."

At this revelation, both Light and Ryuk looked taken aback, the detective sipping his tea.

"Uhh, yeah. I know what you mean," Light agreed. "The two of us have a lot in common."

After taking a sip of tea, Ryuuzaki replied, "Thank you."

"_And_ I _have_ missed having you around at school," the younger man added. "We should play tennis again soon."

"Yes," the raven-haired detective agreed with a nod. "We should."

* * *

After the headquarters meeting was over, Light went with Musiko to her hotel room next door.

"So what was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Musiko asked the brunette, rummaging through her refrigerator for something to eat.

"I wanted to know if you'd like to go out on a date tomorrow night," he inquired in reply, sitting in an armchair across from and facing the kitchen.

Her head lifted, looking at the young man from over the kitchen counter.

"Sure, I guess," answered the ex-negotiator, taking a coke and a piece of cheesecake from the fridge. "Why the sudden suggestion, if I may?"

Once she looked at him, she noticed him scratch at his ear as a signal, Musiko shaking her head to indicate that there were no cameras or wire taps.

'_He must think that since our little __**squabble**__, my detective might've decided to __**wire**__ and otherwise __**monitor**__ my suite,_' Musiko concluded logically, thinking it was a very good bit of caution on the young man's part.

"I met the second Kira, like L concluded," Light explained of his meeting with Misa Amane, though he refrained from mentioning her name. "She has an extra set of Eyes that _will_ tell me L's name, so I agreed to pretend to be her boyfriend as she requested."

"Well, _that_ figures; it'd only be _logical_ that she would want something like that," mused the woman, taking a bit of her cheesecake. "But is she a _blonde_, like I thought?"

Light quirked a brow, "Yes, she is."

The raven-haired woman smirked around her fork, slipping the utensil past her lips.

"I _knew_ it," she commented, then gestured with the hand holding her fork for Kira to carry on.

"Because of _that_, I told her I'd see other girls to make seeing her less noticeable," the young man went on to explain. "I managed to have _Miss To-Oh_ as my _campus_ girlfriend, and then there's _you_..."

He smiled darkly as he added, "What _better_ way to cover up my meetings with the second Kira by going out with my _real_ girlfriend?"

"Oh, so I'm you're _real_ girlfriend," she mused after swallowing a bit of cheesecake. "You don't have to _claim_ that to make me feel better, you know. I may love you, but I'm a _big girl_ and can handle the truth."

With that, she smirked, taking another bite of cheesecake.

Palms up, he shrugged, "I was _serious_, Musiko."

His arms then rested to the arms of the chair as he smiled at her.

Musiko knew there was something dark and deceitful in that smile, however, her own coy, but truly conniving.

'_I know you're close to killing my detective, Kira, but will I __**stop**__ you or will I let you do as you plan?_' she pondered to herself. '_One of you will end up dead and it will be __**my**__ choice, __**not**__ yours, __**Kira**__._'

* * *

"A _friend_? He's your friend?" asked Ryuk of the surprising statement the famous detective had made as he and Light made their way home, not too far from the Yagami house. "That's a _good_ thing, isn't it, Light?"

"Damn Ryuuzaki had no _problem_ figuring out Kira and the second Kira had made contact with each other," Light spoke up, seemingly ignoring the question. "I've _got_ to eliminate him right away."

"I see," Ryuk replied simply.

'_The way things are progressing, I can't afford to be seen with Misa,_' Light thought just as a familiar voice called out to him.

"Light!" Misa shouted, running to the brown-haired student and effectively tackling him to the ground excitedly.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, then explained her actions to her savior, "but I just couldn't wait for two weeks like you said. _Actually_, I was just on my way to your house when I spotted you."

Misa giggled, Light staring up at the blonde annoyance pinning him to the ground.

'_This is the __**second**__ time in my life that I've been provoked to __**hit**__ a woman,_' thought the young man darkly as the woman moved off of him, allowing him to stand.

"I-I just wanted to see you so badly," Misa explained further.

"Well," Light answered in defeat, "you might as well come over."

"_Yay_!" she cheered, the two heading to Light's house.

* * *

As Light and Misa made their way to the Yagami's house, Mogi watched in secret.

'_**Another girlfriend**__?_' the man thought, remembering Miss To-Oh and making note of what he'd observed.


	19. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow likes fear. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I'm back. Yaaaay! I'm doing a lot better, so I'm trying to work on this as much as possible.

Anyway, I have to explain something about this chapter. Light and Musiko do _not_ love each other. _However_, they _do_ have a sexual attraction to one another. This explains why they act the way they do in this chapter.

I'm definitely not making Musiko get more than two pairings because that would _definitely_ make her a Mary-Sue, if she's somehow not already. Plus, it just wouldn't be believable.

Oh, and if I have Matsuda act like he likes her, too, sometimes, he's just Matsuda; he likes females in general. lol His character is more believable if he acts like he kinda digs her.

Also, I know my fic is really close to the story, but that was unavoidable for what I have planned out. Sorry.

By the way, did you notice that when Light asks for his mom to bring him and Misa some tea the first and second time, they never get the tea. For all you Death Note fans who know the phrase "The cake is a lie!", there's now "The tea is a lie!" 'cause it so totally is. (Just thought you might find that as funny as I do.)

Oh, and I have another idea for a Death Note fic which I'm gonna work on a little and release to see if anyone likes it. It's another LxOC, but it's way more original than this one is. Look for it soon!

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen - Three of Hearts (Opportunity)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- The conditions for death will not be realized unless it is physically possible for that human or it is reasonably assumed to be carried out by that human._

* * *

"Rem. You _are_ Misa's ally, aren't you?" Light questioned the Shinigami as he stood by his desk in his darkened room, the only light in the room covering them in a blue glow.

"Yes," Rem answered the young man's inquiry. "I'd seen her many times from the Shinigami realm and then... certain events made me develop _feelings_ for her."

"_Feelings_?! But you're a Shinigami!" interjected her fellow Shinigami, Ryuk, laughing at this revelation.

Rem ignored him, speaking to Light, "You don't like what I said before about how I'd _kill_ you if you even _attempted_ to kill Misa."

"_So_, if _Misa_ is happy, does that mean that _you'll_ be happy as well?" the young brunette questioned further.

"I _suppose_ you could say that," answered the Shinigami. "I _definitely_ don't want her to suffer."

"As you know," began Kira, taking Misa by the wrist and pulling her beside him, "Misa _loves_ me."

"Oh, Light," Misa cooed softly.

Light leaned down and asked the blonde, "Misa, if _I_ was happy, would that make _you_ happy, too?"

"Yes," she answered, staring up into her love's eyes as Ryuk chuckled to himself.

"And... could you ask Rem to kill L?" he questioned, holding the blonde close. "Rem said that your happiness was important, but what do you think would _happen_ if L _caught_ one of us?"

"It means our _happiness_ would be ruined," Light stressed the thought to the young woman.

Ryuk chuckled once more, "It's true that Shinigami are forbidden to give out a person's _name_ to anyone... But, then again, there's no _rule_ that prevents Rem from _killing_ anyone."

"That's right," Light agreed with his Shinigami's assessment, then turned his attention to Rem. "And if you would agree to kill _L_, it would only make me love Misa _that_ much more."

"_Plus_, I'd be _grateful_ to you," added the young man. "Most importantly, the two of us would be _happy_ together."

Misa turned her doe-eyed gaze from Light as she faced her Shinigami, her small hands clasped together as her love rested his hands to her shoulders.

"Rem," the blonde began pleadingly, "I _want_ Light to love me... and I _know_ we _could_ be happy together. ...It's all I ever wanted."

Rem stared back at them, unsure of what to do; the Shinigami knew that playing into Light's hands could be detrimental, especially to Misa.

Light's hand fell from Misa's shoulder when Rem failed to reply.

"That's a shame," he said, moving away from the girl.

"Fine," Rem suddenly announced her decision, stopping the young man in his tracks.

Light looked at the Shinigami with wide eyes, surprised she would acquiescent to his request.

"As you _wish_, Light Yagami," Rem conceded, but clarified, "but I do not _like_ you. This will not kill me, even if it ends up lengthening your life. I _will_ kill L for you. It really makes no difference; he is just another human to me."

"Hurray!" Misa cheered happily, running over to Rem and hugging the Shinigami. "Oh, Rem! Thank you so much! I _knew_ I could count on you!"

'_...L will __**die**__,_' Light thought, eyes still wide. '_That's all it took..._'

The young man couldn't believe that the detective would finally perish.

"So when should I kill him?" Rem then inquired of the brunette, Light looking up to the Shinigami. "If you can take me to where he is, I can _kill_ him immediately."

"The _sooner_, the better," the brown-haired student replied. "Maybe tomorrow."

Hand to his chin, he amended, "I should think this through before we _do_ anything."

His hand falling away, Light looked to Misa and her Shinigami, "I need tonight to decide _how_ we're going to kill L and I'll give you my answer tomorrow."

"Very well," allowed Rem.

"_Also_, no matter _what_, you _can't_ kill him until _I_ give the order," he pressed his orders. "No matter what, understood?"

Rem conceded once again to the young man's demands, "Alright. I'll promise you that... at least where _L_ is concerned."

Light then looked to the blonde, "Misa, I need you to give me your cell phone number."

"About time! What _took_ you so long?!" the blonde woman asked exasperatedly, mentally rejoicing as she walked closer to him with a smile. "Give me yours, too, _okay_?"

"No, Misa; I'm afraid I can't do that," he told her, Misa's happy expression falling.

"Why _not_?" she demanded, then reasoned loudly. "I'm your girlfriend; I should have your number!"

"I already _told_ you, I'm under surveillance by the police," Light explained yet again in an aggravated tone. "Keep in mind, it's not difficult for them to bug _even cell phones_ these days."

"Oh... Okay, then. What about _this_? I'll just give you one of _my_ phones," she suggested, pulling out a pink and red cell phone. "I ended up with three of them... 'cause I use them for different things."

Light took the offered cell phone, "Yeah. Good idea. If we use _yours_, I think we'll be safe."

"That's great!" Misa cheered with a smile. "I can hear your voice _every day_ and text you, _too_!"

"No," Light denied her assumption, pocketing the extra phone. "I'll keep this one turned off. I'll be the only one making the calls and _only_ when it's _absolutely_ necessary."

Misa frowned once again at his unfavorable instructions.

"_What_? No _way_," she complained. "Then when are you gonna _call_ me?"

"Probably tomorrow," the young man answered. "That will most likely be the day we _execute_ L, but I'll call you either way."

"_What_? _Tomorrow_?" the woman repeated in questioned, suddenly happy once again. "It doesn't sound like a very romantic call, but I suppose we can always talk about _us_ afterwards."

"Well, I think you should probably go home now, Misa," Light decided, more than ready to have her leave.

"Huh? But _why_?" she asked, confused. "It's only seven o'clock. The time for lovers is just _beginning_, you know."

Light sighed, wishing she would shut up; her voice was giving him a migraine.

"We can go for a romantic dinner, a moonlight stroll in the park and _after_ that, the main event!" she rambled, completely giddy with her fantasies of dating Light Yagami.

"Misa," Light said softly, taking her by the shoulders before leaning down and kissing her lips.

Ryuk chuckled at the display, "_Wow_."

' This will hopefully preoccupy her mind so I can get her to leave, ' hoped the brunette before he moved away, the kiss having definitely been lacking in the romance department in his opinion.

Misa stared up at her love and savior, her doe eyes misty and her cheeks pink.

"Listen," he said sweetly. "You _have_ to go home now."

"Okay," Misa spoke without thought, still in a love-induced trance.

"_Also_," added Light, releasing her shoulders, "when you're talking to Rem outside, be careful that no one's around to listen."

He then ordered in a soft voice, "Just whisper."

"That's what I always do with Ryuk," he told her.

"Okay," she agreed again without control of her own will for the daze she'd fallen into since his lips had met hers.

* * *

After the dazed teen idol had left, Light entered his room and locked the door, moving to his desk and turning on the light as Ryuk closed his curtains.

Ryuk then laughed, commenting, "_That_ kiss came outta nowhere."

"Sure," Light replied, then explained the action to the Shinigami. "It's very _important_ that Misa stays _infatuated_ with me."

"Ohh," the Shinigami muttered in realization, sitting on the edge of Light's bed.

"More importantly, I need to decide if L _should_ die tomorrow," the young man added thoughtfully. "Since he hasn't gone _public_ yet, if _Ryuuga_ dies, the other task force members will be suspicious of me, so I have to make sure I'm prepared."

"I see," Ryuk acknowledged. "I thought, perhaps, you were hesitating... because he said he thinks of you as a friend."

Light huffed a laugh, asking incredulously, "A _friend_? I just gave him what he wanted. From the start, I've said if it's my _friendship_ he wants, I'd _give_ it to him as a way to win his trust."

"Ryuuga and Light Yagami _appear_ to be friends," he translated the situation simply, "but L is Kira's enemy."

'_That's right. Ryuuga revealed that he is L, therefore he __**must die**__,_' Kira then reasoned to himself, then went over how he would go about ridding himself of the raven-haired detective. '_If I have him die in an accident, chances are that less people will suspect I'm Kira. And even if they __**do**__, there'll be no __**proof**__._'

'_I can only __**speculate**__ what will happen after he dies,_' he reminded himself, then his thoughts resolutely declared his intent. '_Tomorrow will be L's... or at least Ryuuga and Ryuuzaki's, last day alive._'

* * *

In L's suite, L sat, talking to Musiko who sat in a chair across from him and in front of a long coffee table.

"Light asked me out... He has _three_ 'girlfriends'," the raven-haired woman gave her report, putting 'girlfriends' in air quotes, "and he so slyly says that I'm his _real_ girlfriend."

Picking up her coffee, she took a sip before continuing, "So, he said he'd pick me up after one of his classes tomorrow."

"So you plan to go _through_ with this," Lawliet assessed of her intentions, putting sugar cube after sugar cube in his tea.

"_Of course_," she answered determinedly. "I have to _act_ like I love the guy. Truthfully, I don't give a shit about him."

"I see," the detective replied, looking down to find a mountain of sugar cubes in his tea.

Musiko smirked at the sight, offering a suggestion, "Why don't you just buy pure sugar and put it in a cup?"

"That's actually a very good idea," remarked the onyx-eyed man, nibbling on his thumb as he worked on removing some of the sugar cubes.

"I'm surprised you haven't become _diabetic_ or otherwise _overdosed_ on sugar," his raven-haired friend commented in an amused tone, smiling as she took a sip of her own, less sugary coffee before carrying on with her report. "_Anyway_, I haven't gotten the chance to record a _confession_ from our Kira yet, but maybe this date will help me get him to trust me even _more_."

"So, there's my Kira report," the woman concluded.

Her coffee finished, she sat it on the coffee table, standing as Lawliet looked up to her.

"You may stay longer," he stated, though it sounded more like a demand in his tone of voice.

"Is that an _offer_ or an _order_?" Musiko asked the detective, one thin eyebrow raised as she smirked, a hand to her hip.

Even though she asked, she knew by the tiniest change in his expression that it was more of a demand, so she sat back down in her chair.

"Was there some reason you wanted me to stay?" she inquired with impatience, unsure if she should speak or wait to be spoken to.

"You once told me you lacked motivation," Lawliet mentioned, thumb falling from his lips as he reached for his tea cup, taking a sip.

He then continued, setting the cup back down, "Is such still true? I seem to remember that you once said something about _destiny_..."

* * *

_"Musiko?" Lawliet asked, the pair sitting in the low, thick branch of a tree._

_"Hm?" she hummed, watching the leaves of the tree dance in the breeze._

_The pair were sat comfortably, Lawliet's back to the base of the tree, his legs freely hanging from the sides of the thick branch instead of bent for once, Musiko's back against his chest as he held her by the waist. One of her legs dangled while the other managed to align with the branch in perfect harmony, her hands toying with a small, white flower._

_"Why do you say someone has negative energy when you don't like them?" the young man asked._

_Musiko sighed, "No, no. You've got it __**backwards**__, Lawliet. I don't like people who have a certain type of negative energy."_

_"Define negative energy and explain how you find it in some people," he urged in light of his natural curiosity._

_"__**Well**__, okay," she decided, sighing determinedly. "My mother told me never to tell anyone, but since you're my __**best friend**__ and all, I'll tell you. Just don't tell anybody __**else**__, __**okay**__?"_

_"Okay."_

_"Double pinkie swear?" she asked, holding up her pinkies._

_He sighed and relented, lifting his hands and managing to lock his pinkies with hers, "Double pinkie swear."_

_Their hands broke away, the swear tradition complete, Lawliet returning his arms to her waist as he awaited the revelation of her big secret._

_"I'm what my mother called an Indigo Child," explained the girl confidently. "I was always __**different**__ and mother insisted I was special. But it's mostly because I have these __**powers**__..."_

_"__**Powers**__?" he echoed in question._

_"Uh-huh," she replied with a nod. "I'm a psychic; I have visions and premonitions. I'm very empathetic - more than __**most**__ people - and I can sense energy and see auras."_

_"To be __**honest**__, you're an Indigo, __**too**__," she happily informed him. "People like us were born to change the __**world**__, you know."_

_"And how do you intend to change the world?" Lawliet asked her, intrigued._

_She shrugged a little, "My calling is to work with the police somehow at some point, __**but**__... I have my __**own**__ dreams, not just some pre-destined crap. As soon as I'm out of here, I'll try to make it as a singer. When I fulfill __**that**__ dream, I'll move on to destiny."_

_"But __**you**__," Nyoko began, smiling softly, "you're going to be a wonderful __**detective**__ one day..."_

_"You think so?" inquired the raven-haired young man, looking down at the girl in his arms._

_She nodded, confident in her prediction as she replied, "You will be the greatest detective in the __**world**__."_

* * *

Musiko, who was looking up in thought as she remembered her words, looked down to Lawliet, hand falling away from tugging her bottom lip.

"That's true," she conceded, shrugging. "I think helping you with this case was the destiny I was born for. After this, I'm just another useless soul, I guess."

"Musiko," began the detective, looking down to his tea cup at his reflection in the remaining liquid, "if I survive this case, I would like for you to become my permanent assistant."

The woman quirked a brow, surprised by the _almost_ request.

"How is that different from what I've _been_ doing for you?" she asked, unsure of what the job entailed.

Reaching down, he took a small spoon, stirring his reflection.

"You would no longer be a mere contact," explained the young man. "You would follow Watari and I, and you would be involved in every case I take on from this point forward."

Her eyes drifted away from her young, raven-haired friend as she thought over his offer. It was, after all, what she really wanted in life, her eyes trailing back to him only to meet his gaze.

"Will you accept?" he questioned hopefully.

"Yes," she answered in his favor before smiling softly. "I would be _honored_ to work with you full-time."

Slowly, Lawliet smiled back one of his rare smiles.

* * *

After Musiko left that night, L called Watari into the room.

"Yes?" Watari asked.

"I'll need a private investigator to follow Miss Hanabi from now on," explained the detective, thumb to his lips. "I'm afraid I won't be able to ask this request of Mr. Mogi without my _intent_ being called into question, but the private investigator will be required to take photographs."

"_Sir_?" the elder man asked, unsure of his intent.

L looked over to him, explaining himself, "I believe that Musiko may be putting herself in more danger than I expected."

* * *

The next day, around noon, Light made his way past L's hotel room to Musiko's door, knocking three times.

Musiko opened the door, wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt under a short-sleeved, black shirt with the words "I'll be using these to my advantage" on the chest in red font. As usual, she wore a pair of black jeans with a silver chain and black sneakers.

Light smirked at her shirt.

"You _like_?" she asked, pointing to the shirt with a grin.

The young man smirked back, "It's nice to be warned in advance."

She laughed, letting him in the hotel room.

"Yeah," she agreed, walking to her kitchen as he stood in the room beside it. "I _thought_ you might like to know ahead of time."

Digging in the fridge, she pulled out a bottle of cherry coke, then went to the snack bar and grabbed her Yves Saint Laurent leopard print purse, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Good to go?" she asked Light, the young man leading her out of the hotel suite.

* * *

After lunch at the same cafe they usually went to, in the usual corner, Light and Musiko walked through the park, talking. The two were playing the favorites game where each told the other what their favorites of anything were.

"Favorite colors?" Light asked.

"Blue of any shade and black," she answered, seamlessly moving into her own question. "Favorite animal?"

"Dog," he replied without hesitation, looking over to her. "Same question."

"Ooo, that's a _tough_ one," Musiko muttered, reaching up and pulling at her bought lip.

"Do you _always_ do that?" questioned the young brunette at her side, the woman looking back at him, slightly confused, Light clarifying. "Tug at your lip when you think."

"_Hm_? Oh. Yeah. It's my thing, just like L nibbles his thumb when he thinks sometimes or when he _doesn't_ like something," she explained with a small smile. "For me, I tug at my bottom lip when I think hard and when I especially _like_ something."

"I see," Light replied in understanding, smiling. "It's cute."

She smirked, hand falling away from her lip, "Thanks."

"My favorite animal," Musiko began, finally having an answer to his earlier question, "_has_ to be the black panther because it's the _ultimate_ black cat."

"Interesting," the young brunette returned, hands moving into his pockets. "With _your_ tastes, I wouldn't be surprised if you practised _black magic_."

Musiko laughed at his comment, "Not quite. _Magic_ isn't really my forte, although I _do_ find it interesting enough."

'_If it __**were**__,_' she thought silently, '_I might just use it to __**kill**__ you, if only it were that simple._'

* * *

Ryuuzaki sat in his hotel suite, going through physical evidence, Chief Yagami, Matsuda and Aizawa sitting farther behind him and watching him intently.

"Uh, Ryuuzaki?" Matsuda asked hesitantly as the detective examined evidence in small, Ziploc bags.

"Hmm... _Yes_?" the raven-haired man inquired.

Matsuda blushed a bit, "Um, _well_, I was just wondering where _Musiko_ is today..."

The detective remained silent a moment, contemplating his answer before replying, "Musiko is with Light Yagami. They are... attempting to get to _know_ one another better."

"That _woman_ is with my son?" asked the Chief with a biting tone, appalled by the thought.

Frowning, Ryuuzaki replied, "Please do not refer to Musiko with such disdain while in my presence; she is an _important_ part of this investigation as well as a very close friend of mine and I would prefer it if you treated her with as much respect as you would treat your subordinates."

Mr. Yagami scowled, but answered his reprimand, "I see your point. I apologize."

"Thank you," returned the detective, chewing on his thumb.

He looked at all the evidence before him.

"Mr. Yagami," he said, catching the older man's attention. "If I die within the next few days, your son is Kira."

Soichiro stood abruptly, "_What_ did you just say, Ryuuzaki?!"

"_Exactly_!" Matsuda chimed in. "What are you _talking_ about, anyway?"

"If anything happens to me," the dark-eyed detective began, holding up another bag and examining the contents, "I've asked Watari to make himself available to you, so I'm counting on--"

"Ryuuzaki!" the Chief exclaimed, standing behind the young man. "You said he was almost _cleared_ and now _this_? Honestly! How much do you suspect my son?"

"The truth _is_, I don't even know _what_ to think anymore," Ryuuzaki confessed, still examining the evidence before him thoroughly. "I've never been _in_ a situation like this. If Kira and the second Kira are working together right now, things are not looking good for me."

"_Given_ that," he began to conclude, picking up his tea cup, "I may not be thinking as clearly as I _normally_ do, so I could be wrong."

He then took a sip of tea before adding, "Maybe I still consider him a suspect only because we don't have anyone else."

He then sat down his tea cup, continuing his thoughts, "But _still_... if I _do_ happen to be killed soon, please assume that your son is Kira."

'_I have __**no choice**__ but to make a sneak attack,_' thought Ryuuzaki, staring blankly at the wall opposite of where he sat. '_I __**cannot**__ simply rely on __**Nyoko**__ to protect me... This is all a wager now._'

* * *

Musiko and Light were walking back toward the young man's home, unknowingly be followed by a private investigator who was hired to tail Musiko. The two were talking happily until Light saw a dark alley, tugging Musiko into it.

"Oh, a _dark alley_," Musiko commented with a sly grin, hand to her heart as she batted her eyes playfully. "_Why_, are you going to take _advantage_ of me, Mr. Yagami?"

Light smirked, pinning Musiko to a wall.

"That's a very good suggestion, Miss Hanabi," he retorted with a grin. "I _may_ take you up on that idea."

She laughed lightly in return, allowing, "Be my guest."

* * *

From across the street, a casually dressed man took pictures with a hidden camera on a pair of sunglasses clipped onto his shirt, said man pretending to adjust his shirt collar with every click.

So far, he hadn't been noticed, but he _was_ the best private investigator in Japan that money could buy.

He had short brown hair and chocolate brown eyes which occasionally focused on the pair in the alley discreetly.

'_This __**Ryuuga**__ sure picked quite the __**beauty**__ for me to follow, but at the amount __**he's**__ paying, I would have followed the ugliest chick in Japan,_' the investigator thought, grinning to himself. '_Too bad his woman's having an affair with the top student in Japan._'

Of course, the investigator had no reason _not_ to assume his client, Ryuuga, had him shadowing the woman out of a _love_ interest.

* * *

Light walked to his door, waving at Musiko as she left, the woman waving back at him before taking off.

"_Wow_," Ryuk said with amusement, giving a low whistle. "You sure are popular with the girls, Light. The way you kissed her, I'd think you _loved_ her."

Going into his room, Light went in and locked his door behind him.

"I'm _not_ in love with Musiko," the young brunette clarified once more.

"The way you were acting, you sure fooled _me_," the Shinigami replied, laughing.

"It's something humans refer to as _sexual attraction_, Ryuk," explained Kira, sitting in his desk chair as he grinned at the Shinigami. "It's not something a _Shinigami_ would understand."

"Ohh, _really_? If _that's_ what it was, I understand just fine," returned his Shinigami, chuckling. "Are you _sure_ you don't love her? Come on; be honest."

"I only think of Musiko as a friend," the young man reaffirmed, but added, "with benefits."

Ryuk howled with laughter, Light chuckling darkly a bit himself.


	20. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than Al Gore likes to push global warming. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** Expect very mild LxOC fluff in this chapter in a bunch of memories.

By the way, that surprise I talked about before is in this chapter. It has to do with Musiko and Misa.

Also, this is a short chapter. I wanted to get in twenty chapters and I'm kind of pushing it, but I'm sure I can do it.

The next chapter will be the last to this story and then there'll be an epilogue. But never fear, for the story will be continued in the sequel.

Hurrah, yes?

By the way, _yes_, I _do_ think Light isn't too above fooling around with a woman. Actually, I think it makes his character even more sinister to have him fool around with someone he doesn't care about.

Also, I read a review where someone said Light only grins _evilly_. That's pretty stupid. I don't imagine him smiling purely too often with his Kira self intact, _sure_, but a grin would be the only way I could see him convey amusement of some sort.

That's _my_ two cents.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen - King of Clubs (Foresight)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- The specific scope of the condition for death is not known to the gods of death, either. So, you must examine and find out._

* * *

That night, receiving files from the private investigator he hired to follow Nyoko, Lawliet sat before his private computer, clicking open the file to find a set of pictures. He double-clicked the first photo, enlarging it so he could make out the picture. In the photo, Nyoko was pinned to a wall, looking up at Light Yagami who smirked down at her.

Moving on to the next picture, he closed the previous one, then double-clicked the second. It showed Nyoko and Light in the same spot, only Light was kissing her forehead.

'_There's nothing to go on here,_' thought the detective, nibbling on his thumb. '_They just look like a normal couple... even if Light is __**also**__ with a student from To-Oh University and __**another**__ woman besides, as Nyoko mentioned and Mr. Mogi confirmed._'

Closing the window, he enlarged the third picture where Light was kissing her neck, Nyoko's eyes closed as she exposed her neck for him.

After closing the picture, Lawliet double-clicked the next which was from a further perspective. In this photo, Light had one hand on her waist, the other on her neck with his thumb to her cheek as he kissed her on the lips. Nyoko seemingly enjoying the interaction, her arms were around his neck, effectively keeping the brunette man close.

Again, he closed the picture and enlarged the fifth; Kira's hand on her waist had traveled upward, groping her breast as he kissed her neck. Still, Nyoko seemed to enjoy it, head leaned back and lips parted while her eyes were closed.

'_Is she __**acting**__, __**or**__...?_' the raven-haired detective wondered with narrowed, thoughtful eyes, closing the picture and opening the next.

In the next photo, Kira's hand that had been on her neck was suddenly in her jeans, Lawliet accidentally biting into the flesh of his thumb, copper-tasting blood droplets hitting his tongue. Removing his thumb from his mouth, he briefly looked at the wound before his gaze returned to the image on the screen.

'_She's letting him go too far,_' he thought sadly, closing the image quickly. '_I can't let her __**sacrifice**__ herself to help me..._'

Despite the desire not to remember, memories of Nyoko and himself suddenly flooded his mind, his eyes closing to the power of forgotten memories.

* * *

_Lawliet and Nyoko sat side-by-side in their corner of the library, hidden from all others. It was winter out the large, arched window across the room and Nyoko wore her coat even while indoors._

_She was naturally prone to feeling cold, which was why she always wore two shirts, but winter made her even colder. In the snowy season, she found herself wearing two long-sleeved shirts and a coat, Lawliet's coat covering her criss-crossed legs._

_Lawliet was the complete opposite, always too hot for his liking. Because of this, he chose his daily "uniform" that consisted of jeans and a shirt. He only wore long sleeves because of little insecurities that Nyoko found charming, though she never dared to tell him so._

_Usually, when they sat in their hidden corner of the library, Lawliet would constantly interrupt with something to say or ask. He wasn't the talkative type, but Nyoko had realized he just liked hearing her talk, which she found odd._

_Today, however, he was being unusually quiet._

_"Hey, Lawliet," the raven-haired girl said, looking over at the boy. "Is something __**wrong**__?"_

_"Why do you ask?" he inquired, avoiding answering her question without looking up from his book._

_Nyoko rolled her eyes._

_"You've been staring at the same page for more than __**ten minutes**__, for __**one**__ thing," she pointed out for the young man, almost annoyed. "For __**another**__, you've been unusually quiet."_

_"Nothing is wrong, Nyoko," he answered, turning his page._

_Truth be told, Lawliet didn't even know where he was in the story anymore, which slightly aggravated him._

_"Something is __**wrong**__," she insisted. "If you don't tell me what it is and get rid of all your negative energy, I might as well go find someone __**else**__ to hang out with, like Near or Mello. __**So**__, I ask you once again; what's __**wrong**__?"_

_Lawliet closed his book, sliding it back onto the shelf next to him._

_"Nightmares," he finally answered quite simply, looking over to her._

_"Oh, __**those**__ kind of nightmares, right?" asked Nyoko, Lawliet nodding. "Do you want to talk about it?"_

_Looking away, he thought the offer over; he'd never really talked to anyone about them before._

_Placing his thumb to his lips, he shook his head, slowly remembering his nightmare._

_Nyoko didn't know very much about his past because she had never pried into that part of his life, figuring that if he wanted her to know, he would eventually tell her. However, it hurt the young girl that he couldn't entrust her with his past, if only to release that negative energy behind it to someone, but she knew better than to pry._

_She closed her book, sliding it back onto its shelf as Lawliet's eyes followed her every move._

_"When you're ready to talk to me about it," she began, standing, "I'll probably be bugging Near or getting some chocolate from Mello..."_

_"Later," the girl said her goodbye._

_She had only taken one step when his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, bringing her back down, landing her in front of the future detective._

_"You could have just said not to go," she said dryly, Lawliet letting his bent knees lay flat on the ground as he pulled her closer._

_Her back against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her waist before describing the details of his past and what the nightmares entailed._

* * *

_"Do you feel better after telling someone all this?" Nyoko inquired after Lawliet had finished his story._

_He simply nodded before asking, "Will you do me a favor?"_

_"Depends on what it is," she answered evasively._

_"The only times I don't have nightmares are when I'm holding you in my sleep," he explained. "Will you come back to the library after nightfall and sleep __**here**__ with me?"_

_Nyoko furrowed her brow, "__**Well**__, if holding something cures your nightmares, why not hold a __**teddy bear**__ or a __**pillow**__? It should do the trick."_

_"I need your scent," he told her insistently._

_"Then put one of my __**shirts**__ on a pillow," she offered._

_"I need to feel your hair," Lawliet insisted, trying to win her over to his initial idea with all the reasons it had to be her._

_"Then I'll __**cut**__ my hair and give it to you with a rubber band around it so you can hold onto __**that**__," Nyoko persisted, not at all pleased with his idea._

_"I need to feel you __**breathe**__," he added, knowing she couldn't fix that reason._

_Musiko sighed, rolling her eyes._

_"I'm not sneaking out of my room to sleep on the uncomfortable floor of the __**library**__," she denied him once more. "We could get __**caught**__ like that and __**then**__ what?"_

_"You're right," Lawliet conceded, surprising Nyoko with his easy defeat. "It was a bad idea..."_

* * *

_That night, Lawliet crept through the large orphanage, heading for one place in particular. Finding the room, he cracked the door open, looking into the darkness that was slightly shattered by the moonlight through the lone window in the room. There, in her bed, he saw Nyoko sleeping, the boy creeping into the room and quietly shutting the door._

_Once inside, he neared her bed and managed to climb in beside her, wrapping his arms around the sleeping girl. She began to stir, however, her eyes opening to meet Lawliet's gaze._

_Her eyes went wide, though she didn't scream, those midnight blue eyes narrowing at his black orbs._

_"L Lawliet, what are you doing in my bed?" the blue-eyed young woman demanded in an annoyed tone._

_"You said you wouldn't sleep in the library, so I __**improvised**__," he explained, giving one of his rare smiles._

_His smile creeped Musiko out in a very good way, the girl shaking off the feeling as she protested once more, "What if you get __**caught**__?"_

_"I won't," he replied insistently, putting a finger between their very close lips._

_He then wrapped his arm around her once more, his forehead to hers._

_"You're lucky the adults let me have a room to myself," Nyoko commented, sighing at the boy's persistence._

_"Indeed," he replied happily before kissing the tip of her nose. "Good-night, Nyoko."_

_"Good-night, Lawliet," she answered, giving in as a captive to the arms encircling her._

_Since that night, Lawliet would sneak into her room to sleep peacefully with the girl in his arms, the boy beginning to feel things for Nyoko that he had never felt for anyone before._

* * *

Watari entered the room, finding L with his eyes closed before his computer, his fingers twitching.

"What's upsetting you, sir?" Watari asked with concern, noticing L's fidgeting.

"She is... _distracting_," the detective answered as he opened his eyes, thumb to his lips. "Yet, to have her leave would be an even _greater_ distraction."

"_She_?" the elder man echoed.

L spoke around his thumb, staring at the wall before him, "Musiko."

"Ah, I see," replied Watari, slightly smiling to himself.

The elderly man had always thought L and Musiko had been a fine couple.

"I have... remembered suppressed _memories_ of Miss Hanabi," L informed him, "as well as suppressed... _feelings_ that I find... _unusual_."

Watari smiled wider, glad to see L remember his first and only love.

"Do you remember how you used to _feel_ for Miss Hanabi, then?" Watari inquired with a hopeful tone.

"Hm... Yes," L answered softly.

Watari looked pleased by this, inquiring further, "And do you still feel for Miss Hanabi as you did then?"

L was silent a few moments, contemplating the question deeply as he nibbled his thumb.

'_**Do**__ I love her?_' he wondered to the proposed question. '_Even with how she's grown and changed, do I __**still**__ have feelings for Nyoko?_'

* * *

The next morning, Musiko got a text on her cell phone telling her to meet L, so she threw on some clothes.

She chose to wear a white, long-sleeved shirt under a black, short-sleeved shirt with white font on the chest that read "Men are Inferior" in cursive. And, of course, she wore her usual black jeans with a chain and black sneakers on her feet.

Grabbing her leopard print purse and tossing her cell phone with a leopard print cover in it, she took off to L's door. Once there, she let herself in with her key and wandered into the main room, finding L sitting in his preferred seat.

"Yo," she greeted casually, walking over to the sofa across from him and taking a seat. "What'd you text me over here for?"

Lawliet met her gaze, "I have decided to return to Light's college today and I would like you to come along."

"I see," she replied. "Sure. Anything _else_?"

He immediately thought of his decision last night, but said nothing of it, standing instead.

"No," he answered. "We will be leaving now."

"Alright," Musiko said, getting out of her seat and following him, oblivious to the detective's decision.

* * *

Ryuuga sat on a bench in his usual manner, reading from a small, brown book, while Musiko sat beside him, reading a book about the superstitions surrounding the number thirteen.

Light, who had been walking with Kiyomi, his campus girlfriend, saw the pair and stopped in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" the woman beside him asked.

Ryuuga then looked up, noticing Light and waving.

"Hey, Light!" he called out, Musiko looking up from her book briefly to see Light with Miss To-Oh at his side.

Ryuuga's happy expression dramatically fell as he asked, "How's it going?"

Looking back to her book, Musiko placed her bookmark on her page before slipping it back into her purse, deciding to watch what would happen between Ryuuga and Light.

"Kiyomi?" Light asked, looking over to his campus girlfriend. "Could we continue this later? I need a moment alone with them."

"Uh, okay," she replied in her soft voice.

Light then walked over to the pair on the bench, Musiko giving a two-fingered wave and an apologetic shrug as if to say she'd tried to stop him. Truthfully, though, she hadn't tried _at all_.

"I hope she isn't upset," Ryuuga said of Kiyomi.

"Nevermind that," said Light. "Is it okay to _be_ here? Didn't you say you were _afraid_ to appear in public?"

"Yeah, I did," Ryuuga conceded, "but then I realize that, as long as you're not _Kira_, I should be safe."

"The fact is, you're the only one on the outside that knows me as L," the young detective explained to his suspect. "In the unlikely event that I _die_ in the next few days, I've instructed your father and everyone at headquarters to assume that you _are_ Kira."

Both Light and Musiko looked surprised at the revelation of this bit of information, the former more so than the ex-negotiator.

'_**Damn**__ him,_' the brunette cursed his adversary inwardly.

'_What a __**sneak**__ attack!_' Musiko inwardly marveled, watching the raven-haired man sitting beside her. '_A very good __**move**__ on Lawliet's part, no doubt... Especially so now that Light's found the second Kira who __**obviously**__ has the Eyes - the capability to simply see Lawliet's face and thus his true name._'

'_Now it's left to me to both figure out how to get Kira to let me __**meet**__ his new accomplice and how to go about __**killing**__ that extra set of eyes,_' she added thoughtfully. '_I need to __**dispose**__ of her if __**I'm**__ going to be the one who chooses which of these men is the one to die..._'

"_Besides_, you told me _yourself_ that you missed having me around at _school_," added the detective to the younger man, "so I figured, why not come back for a little... change of pace? As long as it doesn't _kill_ me, college is a lot of fun."

"I have to admit, without _you_ around, intelligent conversation _is_ hard to come by," Light admitted to the older man.

"Hm, I see," replied Ryuuga. "Luckily _Kiyomi's_ there to fill the void."

"_Well_, something like that."

'_Now I don't know,_' Light inwardly complained. '_Is it still okay to __**kill**__ him today?_'

'_**No**__,_' Kira concluded.'_As soon as I make the decision to kill him, he suddenly appears - almost as if to __**distract**__ me from my goal. I __**guess**__ he's trying to guarantee his safety and the way things are, I'm playing right into his hands._'

"Hey, do you wanna have some cake with me in the cafeteria?" Ryuuga asked him, breaking Kira from his thoughts.

"Sure. I have a break now, anyway," replied the brown-haired young man before his gaze turned to the raven-haired ex-negotiator at Ryuuga's side. "What about _you_, Musiko?"

"I'm going to stay here and read," she asserted before thinking better of it, eyes then shifting to Ryuuga as she quickly added, "if that's okay with _you_, Ryuuga."

The detective rubbed the back of his head and asked, "Are you certain you won't come?"

"I will if you _want_ me to. All you have to do is say so," she replied impatiently, sighing at his indirect prompts for her to do as he wished.

"I... want you to come," he finally relented, sounding almost as if it were killing him to directly admit, Musiko standing and slinging her purse over her shoulder.

"Then I'm coming," the woman announced, following the two toward the cafeteria.

"Good," Ryuuga replied firmly, then changed topics. "Hmm... I'm kinda craving _short cake_ right now."

"_Well_, let's hope they have it," commented Light, leading the small group.

"I could go for some cheesecake or something," Musiko added, Ryuuga's shared thoughts making her hungry as the detective's text hadn't left her time to eat breakfast.

"That sounds good," Light agreed with her thoughts.

Suddenly, a familiar voice to Light's ears called out.

"_Light_! _There_ you are!" Misa Amane cried loudly, running over to them as the group turned to face her. "I had a photo shoot nearby, so I thought I'd come _see_ you."

'_Misa, you __**idiot**__,_' Light growled in his thoughts.

"Oh! These must be friends of yours!" Misa assumed, walking up to Ryuuzaki first, not paying much attention to the woman of the group.

Meanwhile, Musiko stood with her eyes wide and mouth agape, left speechless by the appearance of Misa Amane. Then, seeing the blonde's face clearly, her eyes narrowed with their red power.

'_Her... __**lifespan**__ isn't there..._' the raven-haired woman realized, breath caught. '_Misa Amane is... the __**second Kira**__._'

"He looks so _different_ - _unique_," the blonde noted, staring curiously at Ryuuga.

'_**Wait**__,_' Light struck a thought, realizing his luck. '_I've __**won**__. Misa will be able to see Ryuuga's __**real name**__._'

"Hi, there," Misa said to Ryuuga, introducing herself. "I'm Light's girlfriend, Misa Amane. Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Hideki Ryuuga," Ryuuzaki replied.

Misa, however, looked slightly baffled for she read his name as something different.

"Yeah. He has the _exact_ same first name and last name as the famous idol," Light interrupted their meeting, moving Misa back a few steps as he gripped her shoulders. "Pretty bizarre, huh?"

'_But... it's __**different**__ than the name I'm __**seeing**__,_' the blonde woman thought silently, confused.

Light grinned to himself as he thought, '_Ryuuga... Deciding to come here today was a __**mistake**__._'

'_**Damn**__ it; she can see his __**name**__!_' the raven-haired woman thought in a panic.'_I have to do something __**soon**__, or..._'

"M-Misa?" asked Musiko, deciding to make herself known.

Misa turned her head, "Ye-? Oh! _Musiko_!"

The blonde model then took notice of the name she saw, finding it was different and that the Nyoko Kurogawa standing before her had her lifespan hidden, Misa's eyes wide.

'_Not only is her __**name**__ different... her lifespan isn't __**there**__!_' the blonde thought in awe. '_This means... Musiko is the other __**Kira**__! __**She's**__ helping my __**Light**__! ...__**Yaaay**__!_'

Musiko laughed lightly, hoping to whatever deity would listen that Light had explained to the little model that she was a Kira who was helping him.

"Long time, no see, huh?" the ex-negotiator asked, almost at a loss for words.

The blonde suddenly squealed and ran over to her, hugging her tightly, Musiko's air supply cut off.

"Can't... breathe," she muttered, Misa letting go of her immediately.

"You two _know_ each other?" Light asked in disbelief, just as surprised as Ryuuga by this revelation.

Musiko grinned, lovingly patting the shorter woman of a five foot height on the top of her blonde head, "_Yes_, we know each other. When I was a singer, we met on the same photo shoot and stayed friends, though we haven't talked in a long time."

'_Yes, it's only __**logical**__ that she __**must**__ be the second Kira. There's no __**way**__ Light has the media connections to have met her on his own and it's too much of a __**coincidence**__ to think they met by accident,_' Musiko thought assuredly, smiling at the blonde. '_This means Ryuuga will __**surely**__ suspect her as the second Kira; there's no __**way**__ he could ignore the evidence._'

'_She's like a little __**sister**__ to me, but I'll have to __**kill**__ her if she's a Kira that's out to kill my detective,_' Musiko declared mentally, then cursed her poor luck. '_**Damn**__ it._'

Suddenly, Misa was spotted by other campus students, a large group soon surrounding her.

'_Thank God they're not surrounding __**me**__ this time,_' thought the raven-haired ex-idol as Misa cried out about someone touching her butt, Ryuuga directly behind her.

Ryuuga then ranted about finding the culprit, but Musiko had faded into her own thoughts.

'_How can I kill the only person who ever felt like __**family**__ to me after my parents died?_' she questioned herself, almost regretting her decision to kill each Kira she found, excluding the possibility of leaving Light alive, depending on her final decision. '_**No**__, I've got to stay strong; killing Kiras is my job; this is what I've decided to do with my new power... I just wish..._ '

Soon, Misa's manager barreled through the crowd, grabbing Misa by the wrist. Immediately, the blonde was being dragged away, though she waved goodbye to Light.

"Now, then. Perhaps we should get going," Ryuuga suggested, breaking Musiko from her thoughts.

"Yeah. _Actually_, could you both go on ahead? I need to go use the restroom," replied Light, actually wanting to call Misa.

"Oh. Okay, then. We'll see you there," the detective answered, heading past Light as Musiko followed, the woman catching up and walking beside him.

Once they were out of earshot from Light Yagami, Musiko smirked as she stared ahead and asked, "You swiped her cell phone, _didn't_ you?"

"Hm... Yes. Yes, I did," replied Ryuuzaki in the affirmative with a small smile.


	21. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than The Fiery Furnances likes to be confusing. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

A/N: Short chapter, I know. Epilogue comes next.

**SimonCatGirl:** Thanks for your reviews.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty - King of Hearts (Self-Destruction)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- One page taken from the Death Note, or even a fragment of the page, contains the full effects of the note._

* * *

Suddenly, the phone Ryuuga had swiped began to play a ring tone, he and Musiko exchanging a glance, the raven-haired songstress smirking in amusement.

"He's going to be _so_ pissed at you," she commented, the corner of Ryuuga's mouth twitching upward into a half smile as he casually pulled the phone from his pocket and held it up.

Light immediately heard the ring tone, looking back to Ryuuga and Musiko.

Finally, Ryuuga opened the phone and spoke into the receiver.

"Yes?" he asked his caller casually, though Light failed to answer. "Hello?"

"What do you _mean_ 'hello'?" Light asked rhetorically, glaring at Ryuuga's back.

"Oh. Is that _you_, Light?" Ryuuga asked innocently, then speculated. "I guess someone must've dropped this phone in all the commotion earlier on."

'_He __**took**__ it,_' Light thought accusingly, remembering Misa's earlier complaint. '_**Bastard**__._'

"Uhh... Hello?" Ryuuga asked again, breaking Light from his thoughts.

"Yeah, that's... that's _Misa's_ cell phone you have," replied Light as he walked up behind Ryuuga, Musiko watching the pair. "_I_ can give it back to her."

"Oh, I see. Sure. That makes sense," the detective said, turning off the phone before turning around to face Light.

He then handed Misa's phone to the younger man before turning to Musiko and nodding in the direction they'd been heading.

Musiko gave a nod and moved along, Ryuuga following beside her, the pair leaving behind the young brunette.

'_**Ryuuga**__... He probably thinks he's pretty __**clever**__ right now, but Misa has another phone he doesn't __**know**__ about,_' thought the young man they left behind. '_I'll just call that one instead._'

Light lifted the extra phone Misa had given him, about to dial her second number when he heard another phone ring.

Ryuuga and Musiko stopped ahead, the detective reaching into his pocket.

"Oh. This time it's actually _my_ cell phone," he remarked, answering it. "Yes?"

"Yes, I see," the raven-haired man replied to his caller. "So it's _done_ then? ...I understand."

He then turned off his phone, turning around to face Light and speaking loud enough for him to hear, "I'm not exactly sure how you'll take this, but regarding Misa Amane, there's something you should know. ...We've taken her into custody under suspicion of being the second Kira."

Ryuk chuckled at this turn of events, Light frozen in place at the news.

'_How long has he known about Misa?_' the brown-haired student wondered. '_I never thought he'd find her this __**quickly**__._'

Musiko was surprised as well, lifting a brow as she looked at Ryuuga; the detective had failed to inform her of this move.

"We gathered physical evidence from the envelopes that were sent by the second Kira," explained the raven-haired detective to the younger man. "In particular, we recovered _hairs_ and _fibers_ from the masking tape used to seal them. They _matched_ what we found in Misa's room."

'_Well, the cards were __**right**__ that she wouldn't be caught in the way I was __**asking**__,_' Musiko realized silently, wanting to hit herself. '_I was __**asking**__ the wrong way... Instead of consulting on whether or not the police __**themselves**__ would __**apprehend**__ her, I should have been asking if __**Lawliet**__ would __**command**__ her apprehension. It's such a small detail, but I __**missed**__ it... __**Damn**__ specifics._'

"There would be a public uproar if it gets out that she's been _apprehended_ as the second Kira," he continued, "so, _officially_, we've charged her manager with _drug_ possession and _she's_ a voluntary witness, but I doubt any of this will get out."

'_I was __**careless**__,_' thought Kira defeatedly. '_The __**videos**__; I should have destroyed __**all**__ the evidence before the police had a chance to go through it._'

'_In the end, Ryuuga knew that his best __**defense**__ was to stay close to me, rather than trying to hide,_' he realized. '_He __**confronted**__ things head-on. This wager was my... was my..._'

'_**No**__!_' Kira's thoughts cried out, defiant of defeat. '_**Not yet**__. The __**real**__ battle is just __**beginning**__, L._'

* * *

Ryuuzaki walked into the room where a monitor rested, moving into a chair before a small table, sitting in his usual manner.

"Watari, has she _said_ anything yet?" he inquired of his new captive.

"No. She hasn't spoken a word," Watari replied.

"Get me a visual of her, will you?" requested the detective.

Behind Ryuuzaki, Matsuda, Soichiro and Aizawa walked over.

"Are you sure?" the elderly man asked.

Ryuuzaki confirmed, "Yes."

The other men in the room gasped when the monitor came on, revealing the tightly bound Misa Amane. She was blindfolded and wearing a straitjacket, her body bound to the contraption behind her, two bright lights pointed in her direction.

"Ryuuzaki!" the Chief shouted. "What's the meaning of this?!"

"I've apprehended her on the suspicion of being the second Kira," he informed the police officers. "I'm afraid this is necessary."

"Chances are, Amane is guilty," Soichiro admitted. "There seems to be enough evidence to convict her, but... all the same."

"Yes. There can be no mistake," replied the detective. "Now we need a _confession_ out of her... We need to know _how_ she kills, whether she knows Kira and, if _so_, who he really is."

Ryuuzaki then leaned down, speaking into the microphone to Watari once more, "Watari, take the necessary precautions, but _beyond_ that, you're free to do whatever has to be done. Okay? Just make her speak."

"Very well," the elder man replied.

"Oh, and Mr. Yagami?" Ryuuzaki asked. "Light has now become our _prime_ suspect and I'm probably going to bring _him_ in for interrogation as well."

"Please be prepared for that," the detective advised.

* * *

Three days later, Watari informed the detective that Misa was speaking.

Ryuuzaki leapt from his chair, rushing to the couch, "_Quickly_! Get me a visual and audio!"

"_Finally_, after three _days_ of this, huh?" asked Aizawa rhetorically.

On the screen, Misa cried, speaking softly, "I can't _take_ it anymore. Kill me."

The others gasped at her request, her Shinigami listening to her pleas.

"Kill me. _Please_, just kill me," Misa begged insistently.

"I don't know," Aizawa said worriedly. "Maybe this was all too much for a young girl to take."

"He's right," agreed Matsuda. "We've pushed her too far."

Ryuuzaki pressed a button and spoke into his microphone, his masked voice reaching Misa.

"Misa Amane," he called her attention. "Can you hear me?"

"I hear you. _Please_, just kill me now," she replied, begging once more.

"Does this mean you _admit_ to being the second Kira? Is _this_ the reason you wish to die?" her raven-haired captor demanded of her.

"No! I don't know anything _about_ the second Kira," the distressed girl told him. "I really can't take this anymore; I'd rather be dead."

"Now hurry up and kill me!" she demanded. "If you wanted to, you could kill me right now, couldn't you?"

Her Shinigami watched the suffering young woman, realizing the truth of her request.

"Misa, do you mean...?"

"Yes," Misa replied in confirmation. "Kill me."

"Do you really _mean_ that, Misa?" Rem questioned the blonde.

"Yes. I do," the young woman told her softly. "Oh, I can't take it anymore. Kill me."

"If I do this, then Light Yagami dies _too_," Rem reminded the captive model. "This is all _his_ fault."

"You can't. No, you can't. _Please_, just kill me," the girl begged the Shinigami once more.

'_Why, Misa? Why do you want to die for him?_' Rem wondered, unable to understand the young woman's feelings.

"Fine! If _you_ won't kill me--!" Misa declared, ready to bite down on her tongue.

"Stop her! Don't let her bite her tongue!" Ryuuzaki ordered, Watari placing a gag over her mouth.

Ryuuzaki pondered aloud, "Is it possible that this behavior could be attributed to Kira controlling her actions before death?"

* * *

Rem phased into Light's bedroom to find the boy and his Shinigami.

"What's the matter, Rem?" Ryuk asked.

"Light Yagami," said Misa's Shinigami. "Misa has refused my offer to help her escape. No doubt because she _knows_ it would cause _you_ trouble since the police would then have proof of her powers."

"When her suffering became _more_ than she could bear, she started begging me to kill her," Rem explained prior events. "All of this because she wants _you_ to love her."

"I could not possibly let it go _on_ like that," the Shinigami admitted. "I couldn't bring myself to do it. There was only _one way_ to save her from her suffering."

"Forfeiting ownership of the Death Note," Light concluded.

"Yes," Rem confirmed. "If Misa forfeits ownership of the Death Note, all her memories related to it would disappear. All the murders she committed with it; the fact that _you_ are Kira - _all_ those memories would be _gone_. Your secret would be safe."

"Also, Misa would no longer be able to see Ryuk or _me_ either," she added solemnly, remembering what had transpired only hours earlier.

* * *

_"Misa, when this is done, you'll forget everything about Shinigami and the Death Note," Rem told the captive girl._

_Misa shook her head, muttering against the gag in her mouth._

_"It's okay," her Shinigami assured her. "The human being who you love is Light Yagami. I promise those feelings will remain."_

_Misa slowly stopped her struggles, her worry relieved._

_"So, Misa, forfeit ownership of the Death Note and leave __**everything**__ to Light Yagami," Rem said, Misa nodding and giving a muffled sound of agreement._

_Tears slowly fell, traveling from under the cover over her eyes, Rem reaching up and brushing some of the blonde girl's hair._

* * *

_Ryuuzaki, who had been watching Misa closely, saw strands of hair lift upward. Blinking, he looked again to find nothing out of the ordinary, the young detective hesitantly dismissing what he thought he'd seen._

* * *

"And so, Misa is no longer the owner of a Death Note," Rem concluded.

"You did the right thing, Rem," Light assured the Shinigami. "I was _beginning_ to think that was the only way _out_ of the situation. ...If her memories of the Death Note are gone, chances are they'll have to release her eventually."

"Light Yagami, I proposed this to Misa, knowing it was _exactly_ what you wanted and that it would _serve_ your purposes, but I did so on _one_ condition," Rem told the young man, arm slowly lifting as the Shinigami pointed to him, "and that is if you don't _save_ Misa, I _will_ kill you."

The Shinigami's arm slowly fell, Light bowing his head and closing his eyes.

"I understand," he said, "_and_ I have a pretty good idea of what L will do next."

Opening his eyes, he announced, "I have a plan."

He then turned to his Shinigami, "This is _goodbye_, Ryuk."

Ryuk gasped, all the more curious of the young man's plan.

* * *

Musiko sat on her bed, back against the wall and her pillows, Kuro sitting on the floor as usual.

"What will you do, Mistress?" he asked of all the events that had recently transpired, the raven-haired woman looking over to him.

"There's nothing I can do now but _wait_," she told him helplessly. "Now that they have Misa, I'm sure she'll somehow end up giving up ownership of her Death Note. What Light will do _afterward_ is anyone's guess, but if Misa's Shinigami was somehow _attached_ to her, it _could_ be rather upset."

"Maybe Light will die?" she offered before shaking her head. "_No_, if _that_ were the case, he'd find some way out of it."

Kuro then questioned, "Would you like me to go and _ask_ Light of his plans?"

"That's actually a very good idea," she admitted with a smile to the death god. "When you learn what Light intends to do, check on Misa before coming back here. I want to know how she's doing, but I couldn't stand to see for myself."

Her Shinigami stood, "Yes, Mistress."

He then phased out of the room and headed to Light's home.

* * *

After speaking to Light and checking on Misa Amane, Kuro phase back into Musiko's bedroom.

"Welcome back, Kuro," she greeted, putting down her astrology book. "What have you found out?"

* * *

Once Kuro explained Light's plan to Musiko, he inquired, "What do you think of this?"

"I think it's a _fine_ idea," she replied positively to Light Yagami's plan, tugging incessantly at her bottom lip. "I just wish I could take _advantage_ of this somehow... I _could_ kill him before he gets back the notebook, _but_... that would be killing without just motivation and I don't operate in that manner."

"It may be better left on its _own_, though," she admitted reluctantly. "I'm sure this _Rem_ wouldn't allow me to keep Misa's Death Note for myself if Misa was alive and I somehow got a hold of it."

"All this means that I'll have to wait it out until they both have their Death Notes back," concluded the songstress, sighing as her hand fell away from her bottom lip. "I'll just have to sit back and watch what happens..."


	22. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** Death Note is owned by Tsugumi Ooba, Takeshi Obata and whoever else owns it. I in no way claim it as my own; I just like to abuse the characters more than pirates like booty. Any new characters are mine and any other new stuff is mine. I make no profit off of this silly fanfic and I don't intend any harm from it. No sue me, plz?

* * *

**A/N:** This is the end of the first fic! The second fic will debut asap.

Thank you to all who reviewed my story. Without you, I wouldn't have the will to write this.

* * *

**Angel of Death I: In The Cards**

_**by KuroShinigami13**_

* * *

**Epilogue - First Trump (Life)**

* * *

**Death Note**

**How to Use It**

_- The instrument to write with can be anything, ((e.g. cosmetics, blood, etc)) as long as it can write directly onto the note and remains as legible letters._

* * *

Light stood in the mist-covered woods of the park, holding Misa's Death Note as Ryuk stood behind him, Rem in front of him. He then held out the notebook, Rem reaching out and taking it from the young man.

"I hereby relinquish ownership of this Death Note," Light announced.

"Take _care_ of her. You gave your _word_," Rem reminded the brunette.

* * *

Ryuuzaki was about to take a bite out of one of his sweets when Misa Amane began to speak once more.

"Mister Stalker," she said desperately. "Hello? Mister? Where are you right now? D-Do you think we could _stop_ this game?"

"Huh?" Matsuda muttered, bewildered by this new attitude from their captive.

"_Stalker_?" repeated Aizawa in question. "Where'd she get _that_? ...What's with the new _attitude_ all of a sudden?"

* * *

Rem's bony wings sprouted and she flew off into the skies, Light and Ryuk watching her depart.

'_Just as I thought,_' Light concluded to himself. '_As long as I still have __**Ryuk's**__ notebook, __**even**__ though I gave up Rem's, __**all**__ awareness I have of Rem still remains._'

'_**Rem**__,_' he thought, loathing the Shinigami. '_The __**only**__ reason I have to go through all this trouble is because __**you**__ brought another Death Note to the human world._'

"Is this _reeeally_ what you want, Light?" inquired Ryuk.

"Yeah," the young man replied unenthusiastically.

Ryuk looked over his shoulder to the new location of his Death Note which was buried underground, adding, "Okay... I never thought the Death Note I gave you would end up buried and abandoned."

"Listen, Ryuk," Light called his attention, the Shinigami looking down to him. "For the time being, I'm just _hiding_ it, but... it stays mine until the next time you hear me say the following words: 'get rid of it'."

"When I say that, _regardless_ of the context," pressed the young man, "assume that I want to relinquish ownership of this Death Note."

"Got it," replied Ryuk.

* * *

"Mister Stalker... this is _illegal_; you have to _stop_," Misa warned her captors on screen, the memories of her Death Note forgotten. "_Okay_? Come on! _Please_?"

"She's been _acting_ like this ever since she regained _consciousness_," Aizawa droned out, thinking all of this was useless.

"_Seriously_," Matsuda added. "Does she think she can get _out_ of this just by playing _dumb_?"

"Okay. How 'bout this? You could at least take off my blindfold, _don't you think_?" asked Misa desperately. "It'll be _nice_ to see what you look like."

Ryuuzaki chewed his thumb a bit, an idea coming to his as he removed his hand from his lips, reaching out toward Matsuda.

"Matsuda. Call Mogi for me," he instructed the officer, Matsuda reaching into his jacket pocket and taking out his cell phone.

"Huh? Just a second," said Matsuda, dialing the number before handing it to the detective. "Here."

"Mister Mogi, when you apprehended Misa Amane you made it clear that she was a _suspect_, am I correct?" Ryuuzaki questioned Mogi over the phone.

Mogi explained that he had made that clear to Misa and that when he had blindfolded her, she didn't struggle, almost as if she accepted it.

"What if I give you an autograph or shake your hand?" Misa asked her assumed stalker. "_I know_! I can give you a kiss on the cheek, if you want."

"Ohh, come on! I won't run away! I _promise_," she plead once more, longing to have some sort of freedom restored.

'_We already made so much __**progress**__ with her,_' thought the raven-haired detective. '_I actually thought she'd __**crack**__. Why's she suddenly talking about a stalker?_'

Ryuuzaki clicked a button, speaking into his microphone, his masked voice speaking to Misa.

"Misa Amane," he called to her.

"Huh? What's that, Mister Stalker?" the young blonde questioned in reply. "Are you planning to release me?"

"Before you passed out, you barely _spoke_ and you even asked me to _kill_ you," Ryuuzaki reminded the woman, "and now you're claiming _ignorance_?"

"Hm? I don't understand," replied the girl, genuinely confounded. "I mean, _you're_ the one who knocked me out and then brought me here, _remember_?"

"Wait," she interjected, "I get it. This is some kind of Misa Amane interrogation fantasy, _right_?"

"Do you know _why_ I'm detaining you here?" Ryuuzaki asked the befuddled model. "You must have _some_ idea."

"What do you _mean_?" she asked incredulously. "Because I'm a _celebrity_, obviously!"

"But you're the _first_ stalker who's ever gone _this_ far," she confessed, "and you're starting to scare me."

Matsuda growled, having enough as he ran over to the microphone, shouting into it, "Hey! Amane! No one's _buying_ this, so cut it out!"

"Ohh, this is _scary_," Misa said softly.

"What's going on?" questioned the girl before she began to whine and complain, again calling for her release. "I can't _stand_ it anymore! _Please_ let me go! You _have_ to let me go!"

"Uhh, I _need_ to go to the bathroom! I _have_ to go to the bathroom again, okay?!" she shouted, frantic to be released by any means.

"It's only been four minutes since you last went to the bathroom," the raven-haired detective replied, denying her demand. "I'm _afraid_ you'll have to hold it."

"You _have_ to! It's the only time you'll untie me and let me move," insisted the model. "_Plus_, you'd be able to watch. Isn't that what you _want_? _Isn't it_? You pervert!"

Ryuuzaki nibbled his thumb, muttering around it, "I'm a... _pervert_?"

His hand falling, he spoke into the microphone, "Amane. Let's get back to the conversation we were having before you lost conciousness."

"_First of all_," he began, "do you know who Light Yagami is and, if _so_, _why_ did you approach him?"

"Huh? What do you mean? How could I not know my own boyfriend?" questioned the blonde, just as perplex as she'd been ever since she had awoken.

'_She was so __**tight-lipped**__ about it earlier and now she's openly __**admitting**__ he's her boyfriend?_' the detective pondered, unable to theorize anything rational to explain her change in behavior as of yet.

"Where is this _coming_ from?" asked Matsuda, even more confused about her behavior than the rest of the task force.

Suddenly, Ryuuzaki's phone rang, the detective taking it with his thumb and forefinger, reading the caller ID.

"Good timing, Light," he said before speaking to Watari. "Please turn the video and audio _off_."

"Yes," Watari replied, doing as requested.

Ryuuzaki then answered his phone.

"Yes. Yes, I understand," he said into the receiver. "We'll be expecting you in room K2801."

The Chief stood, asking, "Are you saying... my son's coming here?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Nyoko contemplated all the possible scenarios that could occur from Light's plan, but found no way to intervene that would work to her advantage completely.

"_Ohhh_, Kuro," she whined, completely frustrated. "I _hate_ it when life doesn't even give me the lemons."

"Pardon?" the confused Shinigami asked.

She chuckled, "I guess you haven't heard the saying. It goes, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.' Stupid, huh?"

"What if one does not _like_ lemonade?" Kuro inquired, slightly confused.

"Precisely!" she agreed with a smile. "But I just meant that life's not even giving me _that_ much on this..."

"I see," he replied, eating some beef jerky. "Why not use the situation to acquire the notebook which Rem will give to someone else?"

"I thought about that, but that person would have to die for me to gain ownership of the Death Note and I only want to kill with my notebook when absolutely _necessary_," Nyoko insisted once more. "Let's just wait out Light's brilliant plan and see what happens."

"Things certainly have become more _interesting_, haven't they?" Kuro asked, amused by the complexity of the situation.

"Indeed," she replied in concurrence to the Shinigami's assessment, turning out her light.


End file.
